Soft Tissue

Over the many long years theyve been active as a band, Tindersticks have stretched and twisted in many different directions while retaining and building upon the darkly melancholy, resolutely cinematic core of their sound. Sometimes the experiments have been somewhat drastic, as on the electronic-leaning 2021 record Distractions, and sometimes the alterations have been more subtle. The bands 14th album, Soft Tissue, falls into the latter category. On it, they decided to focus on playing together as a band without a ton of orchestration or tricks in the way. To that end, its one of their most stripped-down and live-sounding records, but in true Tindersticks fashion, its still beautifully arranged and bursting with drama and emotion. There are horns, strings, and backing vocals throughout, applied with tender touches here and there for maximum dramatic impact. "Nancy" is a good example of the bands M.O. as it scuttles and swings along on a tightly percolating groove; Stuart Staples pleading vocals serve as the focus before quick slashes of strings, blasts of horns, and pleading backing vocals pop in to provide a boost of adrenaline. It makes for intense listening, as usual, but somehow its not as taxing as some of their earlier work has been. Maybe the preponderance of songs that have deep soul underpinnings helps give the record some much-needed oomph. At times it sounds like they kidnapped and tied up the Daptone band, replacing their strut with a dark stalk through shadowy alleyways and murky gutters. "New World" is the kind of slow burn Charles Bradley or Lee Fields would make serious hay with, "Turned My Back" comes across like an X-Ray of the Daptone sound with a surprisingly uplifting chorus, and "Dont Walk, Run" feels like their take on Curtis Mayfield filtered through Portishead. Theyve tried out soul poses in the past and its gone well -- this is a winning update of their efforts and Staples voice fronting these kinds of tracks is always fascinating. The focus and concentration given these songs carry over to the rest of the record, and the band sounds just as inspired and inspiring as ever. One could make a strong case that songs like "Nancy" and the very insistent, very impassioned "Always a Stranger" are of a piece with the best work from early in the bands career when they were getting loads of acclaim and hype. Its hard to hold on to peoples attention for more than a few years, no matter how good or interesting a band is. Its even harder to keep making music that means something, both to the band itself and to its remaining fans. Tindersticks sound like they are fully invested here and anyone still listening will be glad of that, as will anyone just checking them out for the first time. They are a band with a catalog worth getting lost in, and Soft Tissue stands as one of their finest moments. ~ Tim Sendra