Rocktrospectiva: Tinderstick's Self-Titled Uncommonly Beatiful Album Turns 30

Released on 22 August 1995 in the US, "Tindersticks" was the second album by the British alternative band Tindersticks. It is often referred to as The Second Tindersticks Album to distinguish it from the band's first album, which was also called Tindersticks. It reached no. 13 in the UK Albums Chart and spawned two singles "No More Affairs" & "Travelling Lights".  

 

The story begans when the band chose Conny's Studios in Cologne after a recommendation from Blixa Bargeld when Tindersticks were supporting Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on their tour of the UK in 1993. The group spent a week at Conny's Studios in May 1994 where most of the backing tracks for the album were recorded. On their return to London they enlisted the help of Terry Edwards for the string arrangements: "Sleepy Song" was recorded on a single microphone in one night at Abbey Road Studios on 30 June 1994, and the string sections were recorded a few days later at the same studio. The remaining recording sessions for vocals and additional instruments were done at Orinoco Studios in early July, and the album was mixed during July and August 1994 by the band and their engineer Ian Caple at the house the band shared, and at Studio 3 of Townhouse Studios.

 

The album's first single, "No More Affairs", was accompanied by a video filmed at the Rivoli Ballroom in south-east London, and second single "Travelling Light" is a duet between Tindersticks' singer Stuart Staples and Carla Torgerson of The Walkabouts. The track "My Sister" features a spoken monologue from Isabel Monteiro, singer of the band Drugstore. The album's artwork features black and white photographs of the band being fitted for suits at Timothy Everest's atelier in London; the front cover shows guitarist Neil Fraser. The band's keyboard and accordion player David Boulter recalled in 2003 that "we'd always worn very ill-fitting second-hand suits, shirts, whatever, and, as a treat for our hard work, we arranged to have a tailor-made suit each. I could never be seen without my Timothy Everest suit for a long time after. Phil Nicholls took photos of the fitting, which became the sleeve."

 

Like its predecessor, the album was well received by the critics, this new set refines the approach of their debut; while every bit as ambitious and adventuresome, it achieves an even greater musical balance, stretching into luxuriously long compositional structures and more intricate arrangements. Another awesome triumph of mood and atmosphere, their music is frequently as beautiful as it is brooding, and in the space between lies its enigmatic, enduring appeal. Definitely a marvellous piece of work. Also the record is uncommonly beautiful. It has the unexpected contours and sudden perception-changing angles of the most dangerous and heart-stopping faces.

 

Tindersticks Track List: 

 

1. El Diablo En El Ojo

2. A Night In

3. My Sister

4. Tiny Tears

5. Snowy In F♯ Minor

6. Seaweed

7. Vertrauen II

8. Talk To Me

9. No More Affairs

10. Singing

11. Travellng Light

12. Cherry Blossoms

13. She's Gone

14. Mistakes

15. Vertrauen III

16. Sleepy Song