Tindersticks vocalist delivers similar material, dark brooding sing-songwriter songs, minor keys but played in bi-polar pretty heavenly styles. Finely recorded guitars, Hammond organ, vibes, brushed drums and notable duets with notable divas. Staples’ “quivering baritone” always brings to mind Ian Curtis (Joy Division), but the music is more along the lines of Nick Cave and Bad Seeds, Mick Harvey, Tarnation, Giant Sand, Crime and the City Solution, Ennio Morricone, Leonard Cohen. All the great brooding “alt”-whatevers that sprang from the 80’s and held court into the mid 90’s through labels like 4AD and Reprise-USA. Great stuff.

FCC clean. My Picks: 1, 4 (duet), 6, 8

1) upbeat strummy, minor key of course, builds to epic quality with female backup vocs
2) slower, more brooding, hammond feel
3) trumpets set tone, upbeat more urgent feel
4) slow sparse emotional duet with Maria McKee
5) epic quality, slow-mid, pedal steel guitar seems to be more prevalent, “country” flare
6) sole acoustic guitar so sparse as to be solo vocal/a capela, high drama here
7) mid paced, upbeat builds, duet with Llasa de Sala
8) pensive western acoustic guitar, more high drama, great stuff as string arrangements and hammond build, swirl, has that Nick Cave insanity
9) swingy, slight country flare with slide guitar licks
10) mid paced, full band, introspective