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Rating: Stuart Staples, leader of the Tindersticks, a band active in the nineties and creator of a series of albums as beautiful as they are melancholic and sometimes repetitive, delivers this little gem of classy songwriting.
Leaving his faithful companions behind, he offers us an album that collects the best of what the Tindersticks did for ten years: songs with Cohen-like echoes, moments reminiscent of Lee Hazlewood-Nancy Sinatra, powerfully evocative and refined piano breaks, female choirs, and trumpets that gently embellish the work without making it unpalatable.
Staples' voice was often compared to Clint Eastwood’s face, capable of only one expression, but what an expression! The ennui of this voice truly manages to touch very deep chords and vibrates through all the songs, twisting the "reassuring" effect of the perfect arrangements.
Occasionally, a guitar creates something unexpected within the traditional chord progressions, or distortion appears when you least expect it... the calm smooths out a bit.
There are also songs more tied to the Cave tradition, with that old-time crooner aftertaste that distills emotions with grace and elegance.
Among the best tracks, all excellent anyway, "Shame on You" shines with its bluesy feeling, and Staples' voice repeating the chorus tired and bored, and "She Don't Have To Be Good To Me," truly worthy of appearing on a Bad Seeds album.
Worth trying.
Tracklist and Videos
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