No longer the brash, slightly grungy flavor of the month they were in 1992,
Songs From Northern Britain
finds
Teenage Fanclub
's trio of
singer/songwriters
--
Gerard Love
,
Raymond McGinley
, and
Norman Blake
-- addressing adulthood and responsibility with a bright optimism that sets them apart from many of their contemporaries. From the cheeky yet heartfelt title to the gorgeous cover photographs taken by the band with photographer
David Milne
in the Scottish Highlands,
is ostensibly a concept album about home and love. Much like
the Byrds
the Eagles
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
identified themselves with Los Angeles and Topanga Canyon,
has become intrinsically linked to Glasgow and rural Scotland. On
"Planets,"
Blake
sings, "We're going over the
country
/And into the highlands/To look for a home." Similarly, on
"I Don't Want Control of You,"
one of the most beautiful affirmations of fidelity in a relationship,
writes, "Everyday I look in a different face/Feelings getting stronger with every embrace." The overall effect is a feeling that the members of
are happy with who they are and who they love and see these notions as universal ideals. Musically, the album is more arranged than past releases and delves further into a folky, acoustic sound that fleshes out their
Big Star
fascination with some sweet harmonies a la
. There is even a slight bit of
twang mixed into these eminently hummable songs. This isn't to say that
has gone completely acoustic, though, as
"Planets"
features the sonic rush of a Moog synthesizer and fuzzy electric guitars
rock
pleasantly throughout much of the album. While
may be too gentle and subtle for those listeners not willing to give it more than one spin, it is a resolutely beautiful album that will most likely stand as
's masterpiece. ~ Matt Collar