Shadows

Teenage Fanclub | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: June 8, 2010
• Label: Merge Records
• Copyright: 2010 Merge Records
• Total Length: 47:33
• Genres: Alternative Rock/Indie & Lo-Fi
• ASIN: B003PKD5ZE
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,383 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars its good to have them back, June 8, 2010

By 

Tommy Cockles (Manchester, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadows (Audio CD)

Hard to believe its been 5 years since their last foray into music making, but isnt it nice to have them back.

I went to see them on the opening night of their tour in Manchester and at that time hadnt heard any of the new stuff save for Baby Lee (which tho predictable, is pleasant still brings a smile to your face).. I was struck by how good the new stuff sounded, which boded well for the album.

On first listen i thought it was ok, it didnt have the immediacy of Grand Prix or Songs from Northern Britain,However, repeated plays brought out more nuances with the music and in my opinion some of the songs are up there with the best of TFC.

Ive a lot reviews on various sites and it seems to me that Raymond Mcginleys songs seem to attract a lot of criticism but to me they are the best songs on the album....especially The Fall, The Past and the lovely closing song Today Never Ends (which were played at the concert). Its a bit churlish to single out tracks though as all of them have charm and warmth (a rare commodity these days) but other strong tracks are Shock and Awe, Sometimes I dont need anything to believe in, Into the City.....though others not mentioned are all good

The playing and singing is immaculate, with great and subtle use of keyboards,banjo and pedal steel guitar. Listen to it on headphones and it sounds even better

Those expecting another Grand Prix or Bandwagonesque may be disappointed, but please, stick with it, Its not a sin to listen to beautifully crafted songs that don't rock. Everyone should have some Teenage Fanclub in their lives and Shadows is as good as anything theyve done.

Welcome back !!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Attempting objectivity here..., June 15, 2010

By 

Reggie Martinez "carllee7" (Fargo, ND United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadows (Audio CD)

As someone who came late to the game on TFC, I can understand some fans' reluctance to immediately embrace Shadows. On first listen, there seems to be very little to distinguish it from a multitude of other 60s-styled pop bands armed with glistening production. There are also those fans who expect to hear the band crank out another Bandwagonesque or Grand Prix, considering it's been five long years since Man-Made was released. Some fan's thoughts when first listening to Shadows: "These songs are weak," "Why are TFC doing lullabies?" or "These tracks just can't compare to the old stuff."

Now that I've had another 10 or 11 listens to this album, each one forcing me to go back and reassess the previous, I can happily report that Shadows is nothing more than yet another excellent, addicting addition to their discography.

Shadows' songs can indeed sound rather pedestrian on first spin, but that is only a result of their subtlety; the guys in TFC were never about wowing you with empty, overly flashy musicianship or songwriting, even when they were young lads on SNL. They had their identity clearly forged from the beginning.

If there is a comparison to make with any past TFC album, it is Howdy! An album clearly indebted to 60s American and British pop, yet staked on the band's own hard-to-define 21st century pop-rock style.

So, songs like Gerard's "Sometimes I Don't Need..." and "Shock and Awe" and Norman's "Baby Lee," "The Back of My Mind," and "Dark Clouds" can seem underwhelming at first. Then, after another play or five, you soon find yourself desperately shuffling through your iPod to find each song to hear that new melody that surprisingly began to entrench itself in your brain.

My one complaint here is a common one with recent TFC records: Raymond. Although he has certainly penned his share of TFC classics (I Don't Know, Tears Are Cool, About You, My Uptight Life, Feel, etc.) any fan of the group has to admit that he just does not have the songwriting chops, nor the voice, of either Norman or Gerard. We all know that the guys truly want to be known as a democracy, and though this may lead to better band chemistry and less of a chance of a bad breakup, this comes at the expense of putting out lesser albums. Raymond contributes two quality songs here (The Fall, Today Never Ends), but even they are weak compared to what Norman and Gerard bring to the table. His songs are too underwritten in comparison, lacking their hooks and style; this problem goes all the way back when the band first started operating in this manner on Grand Prix. His songs I'd more likely expect to hear on The Magic Garden (with all due respect) then on a TFC album.

As for a personal favorite, mine on Shadows is Gerard's "Sweet Days Waiting." It is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful songs the band has every recorded. Bar none. However, there are many tracks here that a fan could just as easily embrace.

Shadows is not a five-star record like Bandwagonesque, Grand Prix, or (arguably) Northern Britain, but it is four-star all the way, and one of the best albums released in the Summer of 2010 in any musical genre. The guys are not in their 20's anymore...they have grown as adults should, and it shows here. If this means more albums such as this one every five years, then let's all hope that the pattern continues for a very long time.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Highly Recommended, September 4, 2010

By 

Adrian M Lewis (Mamaroneck, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shadows (MP3 Download)

After Teenage Fanclub's brief moment in the spotlight in the early 90's - touring with Nirvana, winning Spin's Album of the Year 1991, etc., they swiftly receded from mainstream attention, but, thankfully, didn't totally disappear. Instead, they maintained a smaller but dedicated audience, producing music of steadily increasing brilliance that has provided this fan with countless hours of joy.

The band is blessed with three fine singer/songwriters - Norman (guitars), Gerard (bass) and Raymond (lead guitar). Some complain that their style hasn't changed over the years. Even if this were true, that would be just fine - the three guys each produce sparkling gems of songs that I usually describe as the best of the melodic 60's (Beatles, Beach Boys, Byrds) mixed with the power and crunch that was a requirement of bands starting out in the early 90's. However, their style HAS very obviously changed. Mellowed, definitely - less crunch these days - the sound is cleaner, brighter, more finely polished. As the band has matured, they've grown enormously in confidence and quality, and the quality was pretty damn good from the start.

So, 20 years on, they've produced a stunner. To these ears, their best album to date, and that is no mean feat. If you're new to this band, start here and work your way backwards.