The Something Rain

I love this new CD, everything about it. The only problem is that, as is typical, Staples words are often hard for me to decipher, especially the spoken word song. I'm glad everybody else who reviewed the cd understood all the words, but I didn't and that frustrates me. Included is a 5 panel insert, so I thought, 'great, some info." but all the panels are blank, just some artwork, unless it's written in invisible ink or else I got a bum copy and the lyrics are actually supposed to be there. They've done this in the past too, put out a cd with absolutely no info., no lyrics, no who plays what, just no information at all. May as well get an MP3. I checked out all the lyrics sites and none have any lyrics for this cd. If they would just quit being so cute and give people like me some information, this would easily be a 5 star cd. I couldn't even find the lyrics on their website. I guess it's just me, but it super frustrates me. Aside from that, if you like tindersticks, you will like this one too.

The two preceding `comeback' albums by the Sticks were far from perfect though both certainly had their moments, `The Hungry Saw' saw the band take a predominantly stripped down approach leaning heavily on their trademark ballads, `Falling Down a Mountain' was looser with a far more inviting warm production but was found slightly lacking in both the lyric and melody departments. It is with a sense of relief that I don't have to label this latest offering, `The Something Rain', in the same way - as merely a qualified success. Instead we find Staples and Co firing on all cylinders, somewhat unexpectedly returning with an album of all killer, no filler.

`The Something Rain' opens with the decidedly brave nine minute spanning spoken word `Chocolate' and as a mood setter I can't think of anything more perfect, it just adds dramatic weight to proceedings right from the off. I think I just might prefer it to the similar `My Sister' from the second self titled album, it is that good. `Show Me Everything' opens the album proper and sets the tone, smooth and slinky soul - a style that the boys return to again and again, particularly on the horn heavy `Slippin' Shoes' (listen out for the fantastic outro) and the twinkly ballads `A Night So Still', `Medicine' (beautiful strings) and `Come Inside' which recalls the excellent `My Oblivion' from 2003's `Waiting for the Moon'.

Some welcome experimentation is provided by two of the standout cuts from the disc, the stunning wandering bass line and glockenspiel embellished `This Fire of Autumn' and the breathless spy movie soundtrack paranoia of `Frozen' - it is not unreasonable to suggest that this is some of the best material produced in the band's nine album spanning career.

An unexpected classic and it goes without saying this is an essential purchase for established fans and reaffirms the Tindersticks as true masters of the evocative late-night soundtrack.

Myabe I'm not in the usual age group(senior)to be a fan of Tindersticks, but after listening last year to Curtains and then purchasing a few older albums, I was hooked. "Falling Down a Mountain" set the stage for "Something Rain".
Stuart Staples' baritone treatment of "Come Inside" is the ultimate late night love song.