mail: daniel_fjall@hotmail.com
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tindersticks
Tindersticks Released: 1993 Rating: 8/10 Track listing: 1. Nectar Tyed/ 2. Tyed/ 3. Sweet, Sweet Man Pt. 1/ 4. Whiskey And Water/ 5. Blood/ 6. City of Sickness/ 7. Patchwork/ 8. Marbles/ 9. The Walt Blues/ 10. Milky Teeth/ 11. Pt. Two/ 12. Jism/ 13. Piano Song/ 14. Tie-Dye/ 15. Raindrops/ 16. Pt. Three/ 17. Her/ 18. Tea Stain/ 19. Dunk Tank/ 20. Paco de Renolds Cream/ 21. The Not Knowing What strikes me most about the British group’s selftitled debut album, is how little the integrity is violated and how it seems like they do exactly what they set out to do. That’s not very usual on debut albums. The artist is often just happy to finally be in a studio and follows every wink from the executives whom demands at least three hit singles and that the album should appeal to the general record buying public. The Tindersticks somehow manages to go around that and stays true to their artistic dream. I tell you, there’s nothing resembling a hit single here and the album is overall one of the least commercial products I’ve heard. At least released in the early 90’s, which is something I applaud. It’s a highly atmospheric recording, based on acoustic guitars and the ordinary rock band set up, filled out with trumpets, gentle strings, piano and also wild electric guitars using feedback to great effect that hides beneath everything else. On top of that we have the half spoken/half sung vocals that tells us about all sorts of misery and agony. Sometimes I get the feeling I’m listening to an European Velvet Underground on a late night beatnik party. If you are buying what the band is trying to do, you are most likely to enjoy everything on this album. If you don’t buy it, well, it’s hard to point out any song that you would enjoy or make you change your mind. You see, this album is so much of an unity and very much comparable to a book or a movie. If you like it, you like it, but there might be a chapter or two, or a scene that turns you off a little. Now, on Tindersticks there are loads of chapters/scenes, but they appear in one song. All songs has something to like or dislike and all songs have advantages or weak points, which makes it very hard to pick out the best moments (which is why no song is typed in bold letters above). A song might start out very strict and gentle but suddenly turns into some kind of jam with all kinds of instruments. So you won’t like or dislike any actual songs here, but probably different parts appearing all over the album. Overall, the good stuff definitely beats out the less good and Tindersticks delivers their debut album in triumph and organized chaos.
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