Tindersticks - The Hungry Saw

I have to admit right from the start that there may be a lack of objectivity in this review. Tindersticks are my favourite band. They have been since I first heard the majestic sound of 'City Sickness' whilst watching MTV's 120 Minutes in 1993, I have loved everything they have recorded and have seen them play live many times, on six occasions from 2003-2004 alone. I am so happy to have a promo of this album and will be buying it on cd and vinyl on the day of release etc etc. So, this review is probably mostly of interest to Tindersticks fans looking for an idea of what to expect from this new LP.

And it is an LP that most of us never thought would see the light of day. At the end of the tour for 2003's 'Waiting For The Moon' album the band were playing mainly olf songs from the mid-90s and it seemed like a farewell tour. To a certain extent it was. The time had come for a change in the band. Singer Stuart Staples regarded 'Waiting For The Moon' as a bit too lush and polished and songs like 'My Oblivion', which sounds amazing live, seemed stifled by the string arrangements on record. After two Stuart Staples solo albums, a 'Don't Look Back' concert for 'Tindersticks II', the band are back, minus violinist and strings arranger Dickon, drummer Al and bassist Mark. This has been a somewhat controversial move amongst the band's fan base, but the truth is that if you listened to this album without knowing any of this, you probably wouldn't guess that the line up had changed.

Opening track, the handily named 'Introduction', sets the scene for the album with a keyboards-led instrumental not dissimilar to 'Somerset House' from Staples' first solo album. This leads nicely into 'Yesterday's Tomorrows' a brassy, driven track focussing on the familiar theme of ageing and time passing- a subject which many of Staples' lyrics have looked at in recent years. It is instantly Tindersticks, possibly a distant cousin of 'People Keep Comin' Round' but fresher and looser than anything on the last couple of albums.

'The Flicker of a Little Girl' continues both the lyrical themes and the loose sound. Acoustic guitar led this time and with some hilarious 'woo-hoo' backing vocals, this is breezy, light and summery. 'Feel The Sun' has prominent violin and is one of the few tracks that you could have imagined being on the last few Tindersticks albums.

After the brassy, Dexys-style instrumental 'E-Type', the album hits a run of magnificance that lasts right to the last second and I make no apologies for the track by track review. I honestly never thought I would be sitting here listening to a new Tindersticks album, much less that it would be this good.

'The Other Side of the World' is a classic 'Sticks big ballad, on a par with 'Raindrops' and 'Tiny Tears', it builds to a crescendo with stunning lyrics like "I loved you through the wilderness/ I loved you through the shit/ I loved you through the best times...". This will be amazing live and David Boulter's keyboards are understated by integral here. After the last instrumental 'The Organist Entertains' we have the title track which is one of the most instant and exciting sounds Tindersticks have ever recorded. After a wonderful '1,2,3,4' intro, they produce a raw, catchy pop/rock song somewhere between 'Her' and 'Patchwork' with some stunning lyrics ('Hello darkness my old friend/ its time to jerk those tears again'). Its so fresh and immediate that it puts a smile on your face from the first listen and in another universe at another time, this would be a huge hit.

Just when you think things can't get any better, 'Mother Dear' is a lo-fi,moody classic with a great, discordant guitar solo, 'Boobar' is a guitar heavy slow burner with some marvellous call and response lyrics and 'All The Love' is a simple, beautiful love song that stops you in your tracks every time.

This just leaves closer 'The Turns We Took', which may or may not be about the band themselves, but in any case is this album's 'I Know That Loving', the most soulful song on the record.

This album was written and recorded very quickly and it shows. It is not as polished as 'Waiting For The Moon' but it is fresh and exciting and sounds like the band had a lot of fun making it. Listening to it over and over it is easy to understand why the line up changes were necessary and no-one should complain about them because this is right up there with Tindersticks' very best albums.

9.7


['The Hungry Saw' is out on April 28th on Beggars. CD/LP/Download. Tindersticks are touring April-May and playing Summer festivals]