sat 14/12/2024

CD: Tindersticks – The Something Rain | reviews, news & interviews

CD: Tindersticks – The Something Rain

CD: Tindersticks – The Something Rain

Will the return of the Midlands gloom-mongers put a smile on faces?

Tindersticks: The best thing to emerge from Nottingham since Brian Clough

Nottingham's Tindersticks were always a band out of time. They may have had something of the night about them when they started two decades ago, but they were too late for the Nick Cave-franchised post-goth party. By the time they had brightened up a little the Britpop bandwagon had saddled up and left town. They split, then reformed in 2006.

Now on their ninth studio album, the remaining originals and some interesting chums have come up with a swirling, elegant, multi-genre beast, which manages to be both melancholic and wry, proudly defying categorisation.

"Chocolate", the opening nine-minute sprachsong, is a bold, striking statement of intent. Versatile persussionist David Boulter intones a wonderfully deadpan Pulp-ish short story about bedsitland and late night chip shops, which has a darkly comic pay-off. While this first track is called "Chocolate" the second briefly recalls Hot Chocolate, particularly the chilling pop-soul riff of "Emma", this time round graced by the baritone pipes of Stuart Staples. As has always been the case with this band, Staples overshadows everything. His earth-shaking vocals dominate the album, although freeform brass-for-hire Terry Edwards certainly gives him a run for his money during his punchy contributions.

The musical mood swings effectively from funereal funk through to film soundtracks with the aid of some gloriously lush string arrangements. Like that other northern noir-lover Barry Adamson, this band is partial to an evocative, ambiguous vibe. On "Come Inside" Staples sings "I've been expecting you" and it is not immediately clear whether he is playing the part of a lover or a Bond villain. Sometimes there is unexpected, unintentional humour: Staples does a more than serviceable impression of Vic Reeves' jerky club singer on "Slippin' Shoes". It is an album which will make you giggle and then haunt you. Perhaps, after 20 years of toiling at alt-rock’s coalface, Tindersticks time has finally come.

Watch the video for Tindersticks' "Medicine"

 

The musical mood swings from funereal funk through to film soundtracks

rating

Editor Rating: 
4
Average: 4 (1 vote)

Explore topics

Share this article

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters