TINDERSTICKS レコード& CD

Review: It's something of a rite of passage for Nottingham's downtrodden romantics Tindersticks, with Distractions coming in as album number 21, including film scores. You wouldn't think it, though. Despite our best efforts to learn everything about their often painful, frequently thought-provoking and always poetic world, things still sound strikingly original here. Almost as though you'd just encountered them for the first time.

That's even more surprising given the contents. Rather than opting for either a covers or original album, the players have chosen a combination of the two. Bookended by new material, we're given some startlingly unique readings of work from Neil Young, Dory Previn and Television Personalities, with the package overall coming in as a quiet and sophisticated, woozy late night drink destined to be used as a cure for all ills.