Stuart A. Staples - Leaving Songs

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 18 / 7 / 2006

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Stuart who?? Most people might say. Tindersticks? Never heard of them would be the most common reply. I love Tindersticks. They are a band that I would compare other bands in the same way that, say, the Cure's Robert Smith would, if your band was either as good as or worse than Mogwai, his own favourite band. ‘Leaving Songs’ is Stuart Staples’ second solo CD album. I met him just before this was released, as usual, on a train platform. We always get on well. I asked him if Tindersticks still existed. He told me “Yes”. I told him they could do a ‘Don’t Look Back show, and guess what ? They are now playing ‘Tindersticks 2’ at the Barbican in London in September. Whereas Tindersticks records have been greeted with open arms, Stu's solo records haven’t gone down so well. This, however, might be about to change. His first album ‘Lucky Dog Recordings 03-04’, which was recorded in Lucky Dog Studios in Ladywell, was a compilation of tracks written over some years, but this new one was written over a year and then recorded in a two week period in Nashville, He didn’t do any touring to promote the first album, where he has already played a short solo tour to promote this, of which the London show at the Bush Hall was sold out months in advance, and showed the world he has lost nothing at all. The gig came across sounding like a stripped down Tindersticks. ‘Leaving Songs’ is a similarly stripped down affair which similarly features all of Stu's lovable qualities, his deep vocals and two of the duets that he always does so well with female singers, one on this occasion being Maria McKee. His music has been always minimal but just enough. He has always made it magical. This is what the whole album is like and live it was the same. He even added out of habit a Townes Van Zandt cover for good measure. A totally cool cat ! It’s great to have this dude back.

Track Listing:-

1 Goodbye to Old Friends
2 There Is a Path
3 Which Way the Wind
4 This Road Is Long
5 One More Time
6 Dance With an Old Man
7 That Leaving Feeling
8 Already Gone
9 This Old Town
10 Pulling In to the Sea

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