Tindersticks - Distractions

Released 19th February 2021.

Stuart Staples was already nurturing seeds for a different kind ofTindersticksalbum before lockdown halted their tour in early 2020, singer. If 2019s No Treasure but Hope saw the band rediscovering themselves as a unit, the follow-up reconfigures that unit so that everything familiar aboutTinderstickssounds fresh again. Distractions is an album of subtle realignments and connections from a restless, intuitive band: rich in texture and atmosphere, it lives between its open spaces and details, always finding new ways to connect with a song.

If its an album that resists easy summation, at least one thing is clear: though it isnt untouched by the lockdown, Distractions is notalockdown album. As Staples says, I think the confinement provided an opportunity for something that was already happening. It is definitely a part of the album, but not a reaction to it.