Tindersticks- The Hungry Saw

Stuart Staples has a voice like some humble king searching for his crown in the dirt. There’s a somber longing that his unique vocal style expresses and the intense, often dark string and brass arrangements only emphasize the grandeur that is the Tindersticks. The U.S. release of
their seventh studio album, The Hungry Saw, marks their first with Constellation Records and shows perseverance despite the loss of founding member Dickon Hinchcliffe.

The down played piano intro is simple and desolate before leading to the single “Yesterday’s Tomorrow,” a bold, brassy track that is signature to the Tindersticks’ style. The Brit pop balladry on “Flicker of a Little Girl” is a bit hard to swallow but easy to wash down with more traditional Tindersticks ballads like “All the Love.” The soaring string arrangements on “The Other Side of the World” carries Staples’ vocals deep into your heart and lets it linger there for a while. The emotion in Tindersticks songs are easily attributed to Staples, but instrumental tracks like “The Organist Entertains” allow the listener to hear the emotional nuances in the music itself. Tindersticks fans might regard The Hungry Saw as too risky with the loss of Hinchcliffe, but all the elements are there, and it’s beautiful.

Label: Constellation
Release Date: 9-16-08

-Janine Rizak