SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY (BMG)
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Credit:Rosie Matheson.
There have been previous examples of popular musicians reciting famous poems but this, as far as can be determined, is the first time an iconic singer (Marianne Faithfull) has collaborated with an avant-garde composer (Warren Ellis, from Dirty Three and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) and delivered an entire recording of 11 poems from Englandâs most famous Romantic poets â two from Lord Byron, one from Lord Tennyson, two from Percy Bysshe Shelley, one from Thomas Hood, three from John Keats and one from William Wordsworth.
And these are not esoteric poetic byways. They are the major poems of the period:
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New music from Teenage Fanclub settles into the world like the first days of springâsubtly, quietly, with a sigh of relief. For fans of the long-running Scottish power-pop band, the defining qualities of their musicâchiming three-part harmonies, breezy major-key melodies, and dreamy, lovesick lyricsâhave come to feel so pleasant and familiar that measuring their current work against their past can seem a little beside the point: Could it be sunnier? Did it feel more exciting when you were younger? These concerns melt away within a few notes: Just open your windows and let it in.
30 April 2021
For the last four decades, Teenage Fanclub have forged a steady career that’s produced numerous touchstones records whose influence can still be felt in today’s indie rock. Listening to their latest,
Endless Arcade, you can trace aspects of that lineage in some of the songs there’s a hint of
Bandwagonesque’s sugar in “Back in the Day”, some of
Songs from Northern Britain’s Britpop on “I’m More Inclined”, and the driving slow-burn of their 2000s output on album opener “Home”.
But the Teenage Fanclub of today never sound like a nostalgia act. Like their contemporaries Dinosaur Jr. and Yo La Tengo, they continue to build their legacy by pushing against the limits of their sound. It’s evident only minutes into the record: while “Home” starts tidy and structured, halfway through Raymond McGinley’s fuzzed-out guitar takes center stage and pushes the song in an unexpected direction, ending only after it’s swelled to an awesome pea
Marianne Faithfull album review: Spoken word, 11 poems from England s most famous Romantic poets smh.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from smh.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Album: Teenage Fanclub - Endless Arcade | reviews, news & interviews Album: Teenage Fanclub - Endless Arcade
Album: Teenage Fanclub - Endless Arcade
Line-up changes are no obstacle to sustained excellence
by Kieron TylerMonday, 26 April 2021
A few hurdles need jumping before grappling with the essence of Teenage Fanclub’s 11th album.
Endless Arcade is their first without bassist and founder member Gerard Love. He, alongside Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley, was one of the band’s songwriters. And this is their first with former Gorky s Zygotic Mynci mainstay and solo artist Euros Childs in the line-up on keyboards.
A few hurdles need jumping before grappling with the essence of Teenage Fanclub’s 11th album.