Tindersticks Album: “Simple Pleasure”

Though I normally hesitate to compare bands to great literary figures, I look at Simple Pleasure as a 'Dubliners' to the 'Ulysses' of the earlier albums.

The first Tindersticks albums were huge (60 to 74 minutes) works, with a narrative line carried from the first track to the last. Songs repeated, but with different lyrics, or arrangements. Orchestras, alarm clocks, overlapping lyrics and spoken word were used masterfully to tell complex, often upsetting but sometimes funny stories. Tindersticks exploded songs, and then reassembled them in fascinating ways.

Simple Pleasure, however, is not an ambitious masterwork, like the earlier Tindersticks albums. It, like 'Dubliners', is a couple of carefully constructed pieces built around a (musical) theme -- R+B or soul music.

Of course, in addition to being conceptual artists, Tindersticks are great musicians, and that is just as clear here as in any of their other works. Their rhythm section is still amazingly tight and inventive, and Dickon's arrangements still fit perfectly within the song. And Stuart Staples' singing is always a pleasure to hear, especially since he seems to be enjoying the change in pace.

I haven't listened to the album enough times to decide if the lyrics reach the heights achieved in their earlier albums. They do seem to be less maudlin (especially compared to Curtains), which is either good or bad, depending upon your outlook.

In short: would Simple Pleasure be the first Tindersticks album I recommend to a friend, probably not, but it is still better than almost everything else out there.

This is a wonderful work. I think that some of the other reviewers might have written their reviews prematurely when they said that this was less sophisticated than their earlier albums.

Yes, the album doesn't stretch out over 70 minutes, but there is a grace and a beauty to songs like "If she's torn" and "I know that loving" that is as profound as anything else that they have recorded. Besides, the relatively stripped down production lets you really appreciate how well they sound as a band without an orchestra behind them.

Yes, probably way too light-hued for me, I wanted it to sound broader and as mesmerizingly maudlin as usual, I'm probably still wondering what the hell are those girlie back vocals doing there, or how come strings and horns and voice overlaps and even sarcasm and plain sense of humour were kind of swept up all of the sudden. I actually sleep with Tinderstick's 2nd album and "Curtains" under my pillow, and dammit, was I eager to listen to the sequel or what, but come on, like they weren't entitled to change their pace, work on forgetable, candid lyrics, take a chance on some peeled off kind of production. They've already earned the right to try whatever they feel like doing. And even playing "Jingle Bells" just by whistling the tune all drunk out of their minds, they are good as hell. It will be no dissapointment, disregard each and every one of those complaining reviews, ask yourselves if you don't feel like doing something a little different just for the heck of it sometimes, go buy it, finally you'll enjoy it.

You've had someone special back to your flat. Your time together was intense, and the person left with a smile and a kiss. You're not sure you'll see each other again.

This is where you are when you listen to 'Simple Pleasures'. It's not exuberant like "City Sickness" (on album 1), not volcanic like "Let's Pretend" (on Curtains); reminiscent of "She's Gone" (on album 2). Lovely, really.

By no means as epic as the three albums that came before it, this is still a fine Tindersticks record.

Who else could pull off such a great cover of an Odyssey song?

The sound is very sparse compared to the majesty of 'Curtains' but is great as it gives you a taste of the 'live' Tindersticks experience.

A great album and much lighter in tone than the ones before it. I'd recommend this but get the second album first if you are just starting out your Tindersticks collection.