If you’ve listened to a lot of Tindersticks — or seen almost any Claire Denis movie — you might agree that few contemporary bands so deserve a visual album. Marked by enigmatic lyrics, opulent production, and weighty arrangements, their songs create vivid images of longing, pain, and atmosphere — a string of unrequited romances playing out inside the most densely populated and well-lit French café. Needless to say, their new album, The Waiting Room, caught my attention for taking just that approach.
Ahead of an official release on January 22, Tindersticks have debuted their album and full, 51-minute video project on NPR. Several international artists (including Denis and frontman Stuart A. Staples) have directing credits, each operating under the rule that their works “should attempt not to describe the music, but to create a visual counter-point, a space for the music to inhabit.” What emerges — contrary to the way I often envision their songs (usually as being within a room that is basically this) — is often a very open work, carefully observing landscapes and metropolitan environments. Even if that were a failure, this stellar set of tunes create a real treat for the ears.
Watch it below:
Credits:
1. Follow Me – Suzanne Osborne and Stuart A. Staples (UK)
2. Second Chance Man – Christoph Girardet (Germany)
3. Were We Once Lovers? – Pierre Vinour (France)
4. Help Yourself – Claire Denis (France)
5. Hey Lucinda – Rosie Pedlow and Joe King (UK)
6. This Fear of Emptiness – Stuart A. Staples (UK)
7. How He Entered – Gregorio Graziosi (Brasil)
8. The Waiting Room – Stuart A. Staples (UK)
9. Planting Holes – David Reeve (UK)
10. We Are Dreamers! – Gabraz and Sara não tem nome (Brasil)
11. Like Only Lovers Can – Stuart A. Staples and Suzanne Osborne (UK)