Tindersticks – Soft Tissue – Album Review
by Killian Laher

A band like Tindersticks is practically an institution at this stage, releasing albums of tasteful misery every couple of years.  This is their 13th album.  After the somewhat experimental Distractions, this is a more easily digestible collection.

The album has a distinct Soul flavour, particularly at the start with the moody Soul of New World.  Stuart Staples sings “I won’t let my love become my weakness”.  Things get a little more uneasy with Don’t Walk, Run, while similarly soulful, the subtlety of the playing is very evident with an understated but essential guitar part which pokes its head between the sweeping strings, bass runs and stabs of brass.

After Nancy, which makes up a triumvirate of soul tracks, Falling, the Light is a soft, sweet track.  Not much misery to be found here, the mood is sun-dappled.  If it’s moodiness, or indeed darkness you’re looking for, the second half of the album delivers.   The excellent Always a Stranger is mournful, beginning with a lovely guitar, adding strings, and almost mariachi-style brass.

The Secret of Breathing is as exquisite a piece of moody music as you can get, with a vocal that conveys great longing.  Turned My Back has Staples singing around a female-sung call and response chorus, singing “this freedom”… and is it my imagination or does Stuart sing “I don’t know where the fuck I am” at one point?   They save one of the best for last with Soon to be April.  Stuart Staples repeatedly sings the song title over moody music.  It shouldn’t work but it does and the track just gets more and more gorgeous as the strings come in.

There is nothing you could discerningly dance to and no jarring blasts of dissonance, just great, tasteful music.  Unlike their previous album, it doesn’t break any new ground for them, but anyone who liked their previous albums will enjoy this.

New World