Teenage Fanclub - Endless Arcade
Given the state of the world, the music that I have been listening to for the last ten months has mostly been loud, nasty, heavy and ANGRY. And then Teenage Fanclub’s tenth – or is it eleventh? – studio LP lands in my inbox with harmonies and melodies to provide welcome balm for a troubled mind. …
Whilst some of their early work was shambolically lo-fi, TF’s modus operandi has long been melodious 60s-inflected rock. All the usual tropes are here: the pop nous of The Beatles, Beach Boys harmonies, the country rocking of The Byrds and The Band, Big Star style power-pop and a smidge or two of psychedelia. So, about as far away from much of the stuff that I have listening to lately as it is possible to be.
Being a Fannies album, this is a heart-warming reminder that the world may appear to be sh*t but all is not lost. At times it is bittersweet, poignant and achingly melancholic, with songs referencing loss, anxiety and insecurity. At others, it is uplifting and quietly ecstatic.
Whilst there’s nothing here that TF haven’t done before, they are at the top of their game. Existing fans will be delighted. Those unfamiliar with the band could do far worse than giving this delight a hearing.
9/10
