Teenage Fanclubs 11th studio album and first without founding member bassist/singer Gerard Love, 2021s Endless Arcade is a gentle and lyrically textured production. With the departure of Love in 2018, the bands iconic songwriting triumvirate was pared down to a duo, leaving Norman Blake (guitars/vocals) and Raymond McGinley (guitars/vocals) to carry the bands melodic legacy forward. Since their beginnings in the Scottish rock scene in the late 80s, all three singer-songwriters have contributed material to each album, leading to a balance of their complementary, but still distinctive styles. Although Love is missed, his absence has thankfully resulted in only a subtle shift, and Teenage Fanclub still sound like the beloved purveyors of vintage-inspired guitar pop that theyve always been. Recorded in Hamburg and at McGinleys home in Glasgow (with some additional recording at Rockfield Studios near Monmouth), Endless Arcade is one the their most relaxed and unassuming. Interestingly, it also nicely reflects their sound as a live band, showcasing their touring lineup with former Gorkys Zygotic Mynci member Euros Childs (keyboards/vocals), Francis Macdonald (drums/vocals), and David McGowan (bass/vocals). Early in their career, Teenage Fanclub might have underpinned these songs with fuzztone grunge guitars and moments of dissonant noise-rock bombast. Here, they craft a shimmering, late-60s-inspired folk-rock sound, marked by supple vocal harmonies, sparkling guitar arpeggios, and ringing organ lines, a signature sound which has grown even more refined since they signed with Merge Records for 2005s Man-Made. Theres a feeling of tender resignation that runs through much of Endless Arcade, a soft-focus energy thats reflected in songs like Home, The Sun Wont Shine on Me, and the delicate psychedelic groove of Come with Me. In these poignant songs, the band seems to be searching for communal solace and understanding in an increasingly fractious and angry world. Its a sentiment they address head on with Everything Is Falling Apart, a glistening Velvet Underground-esque anthem in which McGinley takes a Zen-like stance on trying to stop worrying and savor the moment. He sings, Walk, dont run, but run from the miserablites/Who believe in no fun/Unless its what they think is right/Relax, find love/Hold on to the hand of a friend/But hey, have fun, cause everything is going to end. A similarly romantic optimism drives Blakes sparkling Im More Inclined, as he admits I didnt find religion/I never needed to/Im more inclined to put my faith in you. Its easy to imagine hes singing about a person, but for longtime Teenage Fanclub fans, he could just as easily be voicing their devotion to the band. Theres often an urgency to a rock bands career, and a constant conjecture over how long theyll last. Over 30 years into their career, Teenage Fanclub are well past such handwringing. They are pop journeymen who can bid a fond farewell to one member as they look forward to where the music and the Endless Arcade will take them next. ~ Matt Collar

Rovi