Brooding Melancholy

Reviewed by Kurt Harding, 2005-08-10

Trouble Every Day is not a CD that is going to attract everyone, it may not even please all Tindersticks fans. But as a soundtrack, it does its job in setting the brooding, melancholy mood of a brooding, haunting and disturbing film.
Stuart Staples' somber voice is perfect for the vocal portions, while the orchestration by Dickon Hinchliffe makes the movie score, which is essentially repetitive, a series of variations which accent it as the vehicle for the aura of hopeless gloom it is meant to establish.
The CD comes with a booklet that features stills from the eponymous film. Some of these are quite graphic and creepy.
I enjoy Trouble Every Day quite a lot, but I can see where some would find it troubling. The music just may send someone who is on the edge over that edge. But if you are one who can handle or even enjoys morose soundscapes, then you might well enjoy this. And as morose as Tindersticks often is, this stands out as their gloomiest work to date.

A great album....

Reviewed by Christian Cavicchio, 2005-02-25

It takes a real smart person and an incredible stroke of luck to blend music with a movie and have it really truly work. I am a big Tindersticks fan and I was a huge fan of Trouble Every Day which was one of the most gruesome films i have ever seen, and horror and gore is my thing... But Tindersticks creates a truly haunting soundtrack, Of course the album stands out alone as well but see the film first if you can and see what tindersticks lends to it...

Another Martini, please...

Reviewed by Miguel Moura, 2002-01-01

I can't recommend this record to anyone unfamiliar with Tindersticks. This soundtrack serves only the purpose of the film its in and almost all songs, listened without the imagery behind it, seem shattered and loose, although the opening titles might misguide you about the conception of the whole record. Just for Tindersticks' fans or for those who own a bar and are looking for music that is heard only by costumers who become introspective while drinking martinis.

Variations of somber and beautiful moods.

Reviewed by Mike P, 2001-11-19

Many Tindersticks aficionados were somewhat puzzled by the bands recent immersion in soul and R&B style crooning. Now, I happen to think that "Can our Love" (their preceding release) is an excellent album, catchy and passionate and full of great little details. But I also wondered if the band had given up creating the grander and more solemn moods that lived in their second album.

Trouble Every Day drips with the kind of somber and profound mood that the band seemed to have discarded in their recent releases. For those who aren't familiar with the Tindersticks, imagine a synthesis of Angelo Badalamenti with John Cage, and early Leonard Cohen - performed inside a chapel. No comparisons are fair, since the sound is truly greater than the some of it's possible influences.

"Trouble Every Day" is more of a composed work than something that might have spontaneously come from a rock band. Many of the basslines are played (beautifully) by a double bass, and a full orchestra is used to great effect. Eastern sounding hand-percussion, acoustic guitar, and brass section all contribute to a mood that somehow feels both rich and austere.

Of course all the usual members of Tindersticks contribute with the creativity and musicality that they have brought to all their recordings.

There is only one actual song here, though it appears in three versions. And the tracks are mostly variations on a few musical themes. So it doesn't really work as a pop album, but instead as several slices or movements within a larger body of work. It plays much better when listened to in one sitting, rather than as a track or two before moving on.

I think this an excellent CD. For Tindersticks fans, I think it is a must buy. It is much more complex and interesting than their "Nanette and Boni" soundtrack. For those unfamiliar with Tindersticks, this album would be a good choice for someone who is looking for a mostly instrumental album with a somber, and slightly minimalist musical feel.

Note: This is also one of the best-recorded CD's I own. This may make you want to upgrade your stereo.