Tindersticks 'BBC Sessions'

It has been over four years since the last Tindersticks studio album and it has been a difficult time for devotees of the band. Amid rumours of a split, Stuart Staples released two solo albums, with assistance of Tindersticks Neil Fraser and David Boulter and it seemed that the band were no more.

Now it seems that there will be a new Tindersticks album and tour next year, but mysteriously three founder members of the band may not be present. The plot thickens...

Fans of the band can listen to this compilation of BBC radio sessions while they wonder what on earth is going on in Tinderworld. These recordings were made during various Radio 1 sessions, mainly with John Peel and Mark Radcliffe, between 1993 and 1997, which is considered by many to be the band's heyday. The band have handpicked the selections themselves, Stuart Staples has designed the cover-art and David Boulter has provided interesting sleeve notes.

Although, almost every serious Tinderfan will own these songs in at least one other guise, there is still plenty here of interest. In fact, some of these recordings are better than the original album versions of the songs; 'My Sister' is superb, reminding me of hearing the song live at ATP 2004, 'Tiny Tears' is string-less and sounds all the better and sharper for it and 'Raindrops' is simply stunning and heartstopping.

There are also some radically different versions of classic Tindersticks songs. A piano-led version of 'Her' is just marvellous and duets 'Travelling Light' and 'Buried Bones' sound very different when sung solo by Stuart.

This compilation has made me all the more excited about the possible return of the band and has reminded me of the massive contribution David Boulter makes to Tindersticks. He is at the forefront of many of these recordings, something which doesn't always happen on studio albums, and his keyboard and piano work is one of the highlights of the cd. It is a shame that none of the band's later work was captured in this way because the three albums Tindersticks released after 1997 were also very special indeed.

This compilation would serve as a reasonable introduction to the uninitiated, as it contains many of their finest songs, but for connoisseurs of Nottingham's finest this is a simply essential purchase.

9.5