This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Funky is not a word I have ever associated with British balladeers Tindersticks. Sombre, OK. Melancholy, sure. Heartbreaking, absolutely.
But on their surprising fifth studio album, darned if this romantic sextet don’t pull themselves out of their rut and get into the groove. Not that they’ve suddenly gone from Tindersticks to The Famous Flames. These eight tragic tracks favour the smooth retro-soul grooves and instrumentation of Curtis Mayfield or Bill Withers, right down to the syrupy strings, tinkly pianos, smoky backbeats and chirping flutes. They provide a comfortable bed for sleepy-voiced frontman Stuart Staples to voice his pillow-talk lullabies and lamentations of love and lack thereof. Get down with your bad selves, boys.
