The Something Rain is a beautiful, creepy, atmospheric record from a British band that really knows what they’re doing. Tindersticks has been around since 1993. Vocalist Stuart Staples and company have been leading their listeners through a labyrinth of abstract lyrics, lounge-inflected melodies, jazz-inspired grooves, and jam band-worthy song structures for years. For their ninth LP, we are treated to what might just be their most mature, enticing effort to date.
What other indie band working today could get away with starting a record with a nine-minute spoken-word tale? “Chocolate” is wildly accessible because of the enchanting guitar melodies accompanying the story and the simultaneously shocking and humorous denouncement. In fact, it’s the band’s unique sound that carries us through the whole record, as weird or as downtrodden as it sometimes gets. “Show Me” features disco-era strings, a prominent Fender Rhodes, and acoustic bass backing up Staples’ troubled, trembling vocal. “This Fire of Autumn” proves that the glockenspiel still has a place in popular music. Lead single “Medicine” is a haunting ballad featuring an intriguing sonic concoction consisting of velvety lead vocals, cello, and tremolo-laced guitar. Unlike some records that lead with the strongest tracks, The Something Rain ends with its three most engaging songs: “Frozen,” a slightly avant-garde tune of pure desire with the repeated line, “If I could just hold you, hold you;” “Come Inside,” a ballad that is so smooth you can practically feel it touching your skin; and “Goodbye Joe,” an instrumental that could have been lifted from a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack. It’s inspiring to see a band as tried and true as Tindersticks still taking risks and making beautiful art. What will they think of next?
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