TEENAGE FANCLUB Nothing Lasts Forever
( Merge Records ) Scottish power pop mainstays Teenage Fanclub first rose to prominence when their 1991 album Bandwagonesque topped year-end lists , defeating some heavy competition ( Nevermind , Blood Sugar Sex Magic , Ten , Loveless , etc .), creating a massive buzz in its wake . Kurt Cobain himself would deem the group “ the best band in the world ” in interviews . Perhaps a revolt against the nihilism and selfloathing prominent of the grunge era , Teenage Fanclub instead pined for a more carefree vibe reminiscent of the jangly Laurel Canyon west-coast sound of the late ' 60s . Having three distinct songwriters in the band helped further set the group apart from the pack . All ringing Rickenbackers , gauzy distortion , and three-part harmonies , subsequent releases like Grand Prix and Songs From Northern Britain found the band flirting with power pop influences like Big Star and The Raspberries while never quite flirting with stardom . Their 13th album , Nothing Last Forever , slowly makes its presence known with a casual , late-night feel enveloping the songs . When original member Gerard Love left the group in 2018 , the band lost a bit of its wild eclecticism , and instead , they decided to polish the craft of remaining songwriters Norman Black and Raymond McGinley . On this record , the band goes back and forth between the two distinct songwriters , but instead of it being jarring , it sounds like the two voices have merged into a single voice . McGinley ’ s “ See The Light ” builds a head of steam with a melody that wouldn ’ t be out of place on a Badfinger record , while Blake ’ s “ It ’ s Alright ” echoes the innocence of early British Invasion groups . The harmonies remain the focal point of their sound , often complex and always soothing . While this record is a testament to the consistency of the group , very little of the material breaks away from their mellow midtempo comfort zone , which might be a nice changeup next time around . – Andy Derer
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