Hey, I haven't talked about Tindersticks in awhile.

[Giuseppe Zangara]

Time to change that. What seemed like a permanent hiatus for the band has ended, as they're releasing their first new album in five years this April! They have a song off of it, "The Flicker of a Little Girl," on myspace.

 

I like it. Sounds like a return to their more guitar-oriented early stuff. I wonder if Dickon Hinchliffe no longer being in the band (which is a shame, by the way) means the guys have largely dropped the use of strings.

[Guest Blue Man Czech]

Well, fuck. My prediction had been that they'd continue without Staples, with Hinchliffe taking over on lead voice, since he had shown promise on "People Keep Comin' Around" and "Until The Morning Comes." Since he served as arranger and multi-instrumentalist, I'd have to guess they're going to lose a lot. (EDIT: Looks like they lost two other members too; sorry I don't know the names beyond Staples/Hinchliffe)

 

As for a return to more guitar-oriented stuff, it's hard for me to be too excited about that, since most of my favorite Tindersticks stuff seems to feature more eclectic arrangements ("You Take This Heart of Mine," "Say Goodbye to the City," "My Sister," "People Keep Comin' Around," "The Not Knowing," et al). The overdriven stuff like "Whiskey and Water" or "Milky Teeth" is okay, sure, but I hope by guitar-oriented you mean folkier stuff like "Travelling Light," "Trying to Find a Home," "Sometimes It Hurts," stuff like that.

 

I'm going to check out that new song.

 

EDIT: Hey, it's pretty good. Very relaxed and pastoral, aided in no small part by the acoustic/flute arrangement. The little "whoo-hoo-hoos" that come in are probably as much of a callback to the Simple Pleasure/Can Our Love years as we're gonna get, but that's okay. It reminds me most of "Sometimes It Hurts," offhand.

[Giuseppe Zangara]

I loved Hincliffe's voice, particularly how it complimented Stuart's on duets like "People Keep Comin' Around" and "Trouble Every Day." And by "guitar-oriented" I didn't necessarily mean rockier than I did the sort of comparatively straighter arrangments found on the first s/t than on the rest of their output. Which, to me, anyway, isn't a bad thing.

 

Also, re missing members, Hinchliffe is the only serious loss. Stuart Staples and David Boulter have long been the the band's principle songwriters.

[PLAGIARISM!]

Cripes, I didn't know he'd left. I'd like him to do some solo stuff though.

[Annabelle]

never gave them a go. maybe now's the time. when it comes to inc suggesting music, i've only finally arrived at can. i think its him who likes them alot. can. wow. can. and kanye shamelessly sampled (ripped) them off. anyway, tindersticks...

[Guest Michael Myers Resplendent]

I figured that it'd be a continuation of the Stuart Staples solo albums, but this feels more like their soundtrack albums, being very moody and instrumental. It's not a drastic re-invention of the band's sound by any means, because there are multiple reference points for most songs here, but it's certainly a fresh angle.

[Giuseppe Zangara]

I've only listened to this once so far, but it reminds me more of Curtains than their soundtracks. The one listen is enough to tell me I like it better than Curtains, that being the one Tindersticks album I've always been lukewarm on.

[Guest Michael Myers Resplendent]

I don't hear the resemblance to Curtains, but I know that I don't like that one either. You could tell they were treading water and needed to change directions a little.

[PLAGIARISM!]

I know they'd set their standards as a band pretty high by the time of Curtains, but I don't think it quite gets its due. 'Rented Rooms' and 'Bathtime' are particularly great.

[Guest Czecherbear]

Time of the season for Tindersticking, if I may. Though I've for years professed my love for "You Take This Heart of Mine" and said it's one of their best, I only now realized that the lyrics are directed to a young boy. Stuart must've been listening to a lot of Hatful of Hollow.

[Your Paragon of Virtue]

One of the bands I'd always wanted to get into but never did for whatever reason, until I heard "Tiny Tears" on the Sopranos. I really liked that song, so I'm probably gonna pick up that album and move from there.

 

Oh hey, old thread.