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Product Description
Review
Teenage Fanclub's first album since 2005's Man-Made, coming so soon after the death (in March) of Alex Chilton, has the warmth and poignancy of a tribute, even if writing and recording was all wrapped up by then. As with everything they've ever done, homage is paid here to the American "B" boys: The Beach Boys, Big Star and The Byrds. As they say, it's too late to stop now. And besides, why mess with a winning formula?
That formula–gently strummed acoustic guitars, the occasional sunburst of electric noise, aching chord progressions and billowy harmonies worthy of CSN&Y–works pretty well on Shadows. On album opener Sometimes I Don't Need to Believe in Anything, it works fabulously, the guitar thrum and crisp beat creating a sort of organic motorik pulse, before the heavens open and the chorus breaks through like sunshine after the rain. It is as great a track as any TFC have ever recorded and suggests that Shadows will be a Grand Prix, even a Bandwagonesque, of a tour de force.
It isn't quite that good, that consistent. Baby Lee is predictable TFC fare, and The Fall is distinctly average. But fourth track Into the City is another goodie, its shimmery guitars recalling Roger McGuinn's timeless flights, the gorgeous harmonies making you wonder what a Big Star album might have sounded like if Bell and Chilton didn't hate each other's guts.
There are a couple of departures here, albeit hardly radical ones. The piano- and strings-led Dark Clouds recalls baroque posters The Left Banke and is one for pretty ballerinas. Sweet Days Waiting bears the influence of 60s soul–Jerry Butler could have sung it. Album closer Today Never Ends is a Harvest-era Neil Young ballad with slide guitar and yet more of TFC's trademark lexicon of lustre ("the sunlight pours in through my window..."). But the two other tracks that rival that awesome album opener are the ones where the band trys to outstrip The Byrds circa Chestnut Mare: Shock and Awe, all chiming guitars and keening chords, and The Back of My Mind, which is so LA 1970 you can almost taste the smog.
Shadows, then, features three or four tunes that merit inclusion on a Fanclub Best Of, and is overall a strong if less than startling collection. It's unlikely to win this year's Spin magazine critics' poll, as Bandwagonesque did, famously beating Nirvana's Nevermind. Still, it's good to have them back. Now, back to that opening track... --Paul Lester
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm loving it. NICE!,
By
This review is from: Shadows (Audio CD)
I think I'm on about the fourth spin, it really is quintessential TFC. Now, I'm not going to tell you that everything they do is brilliant but I will say- most of it is. Plenty of bands nowadays give you the creeps but very few give you that shivery "this is great" feeling and on this album TFC dish it out in abundance. Personally I think a few yrs ago they lost their charm very very slightly but now you can jump in the air again because it, their magic, is back. Lush harmonies, palatable noodling, genuine love and love of life- it's all there, absolutely wonderful. If you know TFC then you know what I'm on about. If you don't then I beseech ye, treat yourself to this cd, Bandwagonesque and Songs From Northern Britain and I'm sure you'll soon be back for more. A national treasure! No kidding.
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Teenage Fanclub - Shadows and light,
By
This review is from: Shadows (Audio CD)
The recent death of Teenage Fanclub's great inspiration Alex Chilton from Big Star served to remind you in addition quite how long the boys from Glasgow themselves have been "treading the boards". Like Big Star they have made over their inestimable career some of the most delicious pop/rock songs this side of the Pecos. The list must include songs like "Everything Flows", "Neil Jung", "Sparky's Dream", "Alcoholiday" "Ain't that enough" and "Starsign" which are up as some of the greatest British songs of the past two decades. It only seems like a nano second ago that "Bandwagonesque" their second album was actually topping Nirvana's "Nevermind" in end of year polls and indeed Kurt Cobain never hid his affection for the Fannies and regularly name checked them in press interviews.Obviously if your looking for Flying Lotus style experimentation in a Teenage Fanclub album look elsewhere. Their strength is always in their songs with song writing duties generally shared between Norman Blake, Gerard Love and Raymond McGinley. As you would expect Roger McQuinn style harmonies predominate and songs packed with warm melodies and killer hooks. To be fair on this album they do branch out with the sumptuous piano ballad "Dark Clouds" and a guest spot for Euros Childs from Welsh wonders Gorky's. Other highlights includes the melodic rocker "Shock and Awe" which is vintage Teenage Fanclub and is guaranteed to bring an extra skip to your step, the truly lovely "Into the city" which is one of their best songs in a long long while and the slow rolling mesmerising country ballad "Today never ends" with echoes of Crosby Stills and Nash is excellent. Opener "Sometimes I don't need to believe in anything" demands no more than you lie back and stare into blue skies and be enveloped by its warmth. As for downsides the single "Baby Lee" borders on repetition and is a bit Teenage Fanclub by numbers and a couple of songs here are on the weak side. Nevertheless you can forgive this band anything. Nick Hornby's excellent book "31 Songs" cites "Songs from Northern Britain" as one of his favourite ever albums and two out of thirty one songs are from Teenage Fanclub. Can I also use this opportunity to request that Rhodri Jones who borrowed my copy of "Grand Prix" in 1996 return it as a matter of urgency! A plea to you dear Amazon readers please don't forget about Teenage Fanclub, they are a quality assured and a national treasure.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the Wait.,
By doctor pacman "the doc" (Yorkshire) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Shadows (Audio CD)
Since their mid-90s heyday the Fannies have taken their collectivefoot off the gas a little, and their fans have learnt to be a patient lot. This, only their second release since 2000s unspectacular 'Howdy' is sure to be met with eager anticipation by those still entranced by their last album 'Man Made'. So is it worth the wait? The answer, happily, is yes. The ambience is slightly mellower than on some previous outings; a mellow, druggy 1970s vibe prevails throughout, especially in the keyboard sounds. Much of this album brings to mind the soundscapes of 'Zuma'-era Neil Young, and never has the Big Star influence been more apparent. There are still a couple of old-school classics though, with 'Shock and Awe' and 'When I Still Have Thee' recalling the glorious heights they scaled with 'Grand Prix' and 'Bandwagonesque' all those years ago. It's a grower, to be sure, with new delights revealed on each new listen, but overall it lacks a little of the immediacy and panache that characterises their best work. Those new to the band would do well to delve deep into the back catalogue before sampling this one, but it's sure to be treasured by their loyal army of long-standing fans. Now let's just hope we don't have to wait another five years for the next one.
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