Tindersticks: 'The Hungry Saw'

The Tindersticks release their first studio album for five years – but are they still relevant?

1993 was marked by the release of the Wu Tang’s ’36 Chambers’, Cypress Hill’s ‘Black Sunday’, PJ Harvey’s ‘Rid Of Me’ and the Tindersticks’ epoynymous debut. Alright, it certainly didn’t rank alongside those other greats, but it did mark the start of a long career of a dark and intriguing alternative to hip-hop and vicious indie.

15 years later, the Nottingham-formed Tindersticks return to their original line up. With the front man now resident in rural France, what you get is not far off what you got… alt-country led by Stuart Staples’ deep, and frankly odd, voice. Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and Kurt Wagner are all reference points.

Maybe it’s the wine and cheese, but this is a disappointing record. It opens with an ‘Intro’ of tinkling ambient pointlessness guaranteed to have you pressing ‘skip’. Unfortunately the first tune proper sees Stuart croon over a backdrop of flimsy flute and organ which even brass on the chorus fails to lift above the mediocre. Next up, ‘The Flicker Of A Little Girl’ is pure cheese – The ‘Sticks covering Pulp covering The Carpenters.

Throughout, the sound is sparse and disjointed, despite Staples, keyboardist David Boulter and guitarist Neil Fraser being augmented by an army of competent session musicians.

On ‘Yesterdays Tomorrows’ Staples’ singing heads into parody, like the Tindersticks done by Vic Reeves’ Club Singer. ‘Mother Dear’ tries spikes of off key guitar, but just sounds like a practice session. Single ‘The Hungry Saw’ cranks up the pace, but despite its evil lover character, refuses to stick in the memory.

Only on ‘All The Love’ do things gel, stripped down and building through guitar, bells, cello, violin and an ethereal female backing vocal. But relevant? Sadly not.

Released on 28th April 2008 by Beggars Banquet.

Written by James Farrell.