RECORD REVIEW: Tindersticks ‘Falling Down a Mountain’

Falling Down a Mountain is the eighth full-length album release by Tindersticks. The vocals of Stuart A. Staples are reminiscent of the smooth, smoky sound of Luther Vandross, complete with vibrato and soul. As an album, Falling Down a Mountain presents very tender, mellow compositions that would be appealing to a serene and breezy mood. Many of the tracks present an orchestral element, introducing strings, horns and various percussion. The tracks carry impressive song structures, with interesting layering of multiple stringed and brass instruments in unique patterns.

The title track starts the album off with a long instrumental intro, permeating with atmospheric percussion and occasional, splashy horn blasts. Once the vocals join this jazzy concoction, the ethereal feel of the melody is accentuated by the repetitive chorus, eliciting an almost trance-like disposition. “Harmony Around My Table” shifts away from the tranquility into an upbeat ditty with sweet harmonies, a clean rhythm and swooning vocals. “She Rode Me Down” is another notable track with a different sound that conveys a Western, cowboy semblance featuring hand claps, menacing horns and clarinet behind an elegantly sung melody. The record offers an engaging, soothing experience, while maintaining a complicated intermingling of instrumentation and smooth melodies. (4AD/Constellation Records)

http://www.myspace.com/tindersticksofficial

U.K./Czech Republic/France
Recorded at Le Chien Chanceux in France
& ICP Studios in Belgium
Produced by Stuart Staples
Mastered by Tim Young at Metropolis
By: Nadia Lelutiu
March 2010