Teenage Fanclub
Thirteen

"Joyful Scots hopelessly in love with the Rickenbacker sound"

That's how the Teenage Fanclub were defined in a mid-'90s review, emphasizing the two characteristics that immediately stood out about the group led by Norman Blake and Gerald Love: the sunny and carefree aspect of their attitude (distant from much of the seriousness of alternative rock at the start of that decade) and the debt to the Byrds/Big Star school that gradually became predominant in their sound mixture, after beginnings heavily influenced by the gritty guitar work of American indie (with Dinosaur Jr. at the forefront), with the brilliant first single "Everything flows" that even brushed against shoegaze territories.

As is well known, the crucial turning point in the Fannies' career was "Bandwagonesque", the 1991 album in which ancient and more modern influences found the perfect point of balance, in a work praised by critics (notably the historic judgment by Spin Magazine that awarded it album of the year ahead of Nevermind) and which seemed it could serve as a springboard to achieve the breakthrough into the mainstream that many independents were making during that particular historical period.

"Thirteen" from 1993 was indeed the work called to fully confirm all these expectations, but it left the Glasgow quartet midway, confirming their role as a cult band but without the spark to make the leap into the realm of big numbers. "They're content with selling 150,000 copies," their employer, Mr. Creation Alan McGee, scorned them, still unaware that the figures he dreamed of would be achieved a few years later thanks to a couple of unibrowed brothers residing in Manchester.

Listened to today, "Thirteen" (do I really need to remind you that the title is a tribute to the most beautiful song written by Alex Chilton?) remains a solid album, inaugurated as best as it possibly could be by "Hang On", which brings back the riff of "School" by Nirvana before flowing into the usual sub-Big Star litany and closing with a psychedelic pop march reminiscent of Beatles/Hollies 66-67. If the quality of the tracklist is a bit inconsistent, three absolute gems stand out that we would include with our eyes closed should we record, as when we were young, a tape with an ideal best of to introduce the band to a friend. In order, "Radio", a sparkling power-pop number that would have shone on the second LP of the - nomen omen - Big Star; "Tears are cool", a sublime and velvety ballad with Byrds-like touches; the stunning electric shot "Gene Clark", dedicated to the legendary Byrds frontman who passed away a couple of years earlier, with a martial ride worthy of the best Neil Young, clearly echoing "Down by the river."

Resonances and passions claimed and flaunted: sometimes perfection can only be honored.