Tindersticks Album: “Tindersticks (Second Album) (+ Bonus CD) [Remaster”

In the world of "Tindersticks(II)",it's usually night, it's almost certainly raining,and the streetlamps shine brightly on the wet pavement outside a dimly lit and underpopulated pub. Inside,someone is curled around a drink,trying to quiet internal ghosts.Like Tom Waits in a suit with a martini,the songs are elegantly and sometimes harshly melodic,beginning gently only to rupture into brilliant cacophony("El Diable el el Ojo").Some wind their way velvetly,with soft percussion casting shadows on the fragmented wall of piano and guitar("Seaweed")."My Sister" tells a sorry story in a monologue accented by the disjointedly upbeat music; for contrast,"Tiny Tears" is a torch song almost baroque in its intensity.Few albums are able to achieve such unsteady beauty and keen brilliance as this one has without collapsing under their own weight or coming off as pretentiously gloomy.Slightly more understated and darker than the more accessible "Curtains","Tindersticks(II)" is no less splendid and an excellent choice for anyone looking to add a Tindersticks album to their collection.

This second Tindersticks album is a lengthy exploration of many melancholy moods, lifted in places by exquisite orchestral arrangements and inspiring melodies. The lyrics are often oblique as in the songs El Diablo, a subdued, almost whispered piece that ends in discordant sounds, and A Night In, a similar lugubrious excursion with nice melodic twists and turns.

I am not sure whether the track My Sister is done with tongue in cheek, but it lists an unbearable catalogue of woes and would qualify for one of the most depressing songs of all time along with Gloomy Sunday and sundry songs by Swans, Nick Cave and Kevin Coyne. A whispered voice behind the lead vocal and some mournful violin give it an eerie touch.

The organ contributions in the mix really impress, as on the tuneful ballad Tiny Tears. Although not a feel-good number either, it provides welcome relief after all of the sorrow of My Sister. The instrumental Vetrauen II is a moody evocative number and Talk To Me is a sombre ballad with a nervous rhythm that evolves into a huge orchestral sound. No More Affairs is another gloomy affair that would make Nick Drake proud, whilst the ironically titled Singing is a lovely organ instrumental.

The album's transcended moment arrives in the form of the powerful duet Travelling Light, a stunning composition with an uplifting effect despite its images of separation and mood of resignation. The next one, Cherry Blossoms, has an interesting vocal arrangement that gives it a haunting quality. Fans of Scott Walker, Joy Division and Leonard Cohen will find much to appreciate in Tindersticks.

The Tindersticks were really at the top their game when they recorded this record. They had just come off recording their amazing debut and released this only a year later. It makes me wonder how someone could release so much good music in such a short period of time, especially nowadays when most artists need 2-3 years to come up with enough creativity for a whole album. Basically a filler free record that I think basically everyone can enjoy a whole lot. I play this all the time where I work and people always come up to ask me about it and not just older folks but people of all ages. I really think this band is very accessible on this album. They just combine so many good elements in their music that it almost always works. Oh, and the songwriting isn't too shabby either.

This was the first Tindersticks album I ever bought, after reading good reviews about them and I was looking for some new artists to listen to. When I first heard the album I thought "What did I just buy?" It was unlike anything else in my collection. The music had to grow on me but it did eventually. This band is like good literature set to music. You have to immerse yourself in the lyrics and melodies for the full experience. I especially like the little things on this album, for instance the piano parts on "Seaweed", one of my favorite tracks. And the xylophone-like keyboards(?) on "My Sister" which has some of the best lyrics of the decade. Tindersticks will probably never break into the Top 40 but that doesn't matter. In 10-15 years future artists will point back to this band as a huge influence.

This album is pure atmosphere. Dark and dreary but at the same time hauntingly familiar. Not familiar in the sense that it sounds like anything else. Not even close. More like music that would be played in the background of your dreaming. Light some candles and dream away.