Foreign Land

Photo by 

Donald Milne

Teenage Fanclub released new single Foreign Land earlier today with no prior announcement. A couple of hours later, Monorail dropped some news about their forthcoming album Nothing Lasts Forever, due on 22nd September ahead of their comprehensive European tour.

Foreign Land begins with fuzzy guitar feedback, leading to a fast paced rhythm guitar that underpins Norman harmonising beautifully with Euros. Raymond adds little riffs at times, before taking off on a soaring solo after the second chorus. 

Blake's songwriting is mature and poetic, saying so much about how in love he was and how he now recognises it's over, equally heartbreaking and full of hope. After a heavy heart and sleepless nights, there is now recognition that the past is in the past and it's time to move on. The two line chorus says it all. 

The past's a foreign land

I did my best to understand

Teenage Fanclub are in great form, McGinley's beautiful meandering guitar solo (a cousin to Home) is deliciously playful, both mid-song and through the outro. Euros keys on the outro jam are more evident after a couple of listens, I look forward to hearing this live.

The video was filmed inside Hamilton Mausoleum, one of the largest in the world. Francis MacDonald released an album of chamber music back in 2018 that was inspired by (and recorded in) the venue. It clearly left quite an impression and it is a cinematic setting for the video, absolutely stunning!

On the single and album;

Raymond - "When we got offered ten days in Rockfield, we weren't ready in our minds but then we just thought, 'fuck it' and went for it. If you're sitting around waiting for the stars to align, you can end up never doing anything. We turned up and worked our way through ideas and came up with some while we were there. Foreign Land was born in the studio. If we hadn't gone there at that point through happenstance, that song wouldn't exist. We like to let things happen. As people, we find a deadline inspiring. We like to put ourselves on the spot and see what happens. We usually get away with it. This record is the cliche of the blank canvas, which thankfully we managed to fill."

Watch the video HERE or below.

Roll on September and the tour.

It's time to move along

Leave the past behind me

A heart was like a stone

Now it's beating brightly

The past's a foreign land

I did my best to understand

Beneath the moon and stars

I loved her most profoundly

I wandered in the night

But now I'm sleeping soundly

The past's a foreign land

I did my best to understand

Teenage Fanclub at SWG3 Glasgow

Earlier this week Teenage Fanclub released a video for new song I Left A Light On. I needed it. I had the Monday blues after watching the news the previous night. The utterly horrific events taking place in Ukraine chilled my bones and my heart.

Escaping from reality into a 3.5 minutes of melancholic pop music was just what I needed it. I must have. I played it half a dozen times in a row. The warmth of Norman's voice, the harmonies with Euros, the guitars, the piano at the centre of the song, the strings ... beautiful. Quite Lennon-esque.

You know I left a light on

I left it on for you

And I think I needed a night out too. 

Then on Tuesday I finished work at 11am as I suddenly felt shattered and spent the rest of the day in bed. I was testing negative but was convinced COVID was in the pipeline. The sleep must have worked, as I woke up feeling fresh on Wednesday morning and returned a couple of negative LTF's through the day. I was going to the gig after all.

All my life I felt so uptight

No it's all alright

While the gig is fresh in my mind I have to mention a few highlights. In fact, rather than run through the gig song by song, I'm just going to go with 10 highlights off the top off my head.

I'll start with Raymond's My Uptight Life. Oooofffftt the closing refrain brought tears to my eyes as the band faded out to leave just Raymond and Norman singing over Raymond's guitar. And then the crowd came in to sing with them a few times. It was a really beautiful moment.

Another highlight? Norman leading the band through I'm In Love in record time. Every time I see the band play this song they seem to be on a mission to take a second or two off the length, tearing through it and making it all the more electrifying.

More?

OK well the whole gig made me smile and escape reality for a while. And any worries of the band being rusty after a number of months off were banished very early on as the band ripped through Warm Embrace and jammed gloriously on Home.

And I must mention the young teenager and his Dad to my left, centre stage, just a couple of rows from the front. The young guy had a Pretty Green jacket that he took off to display a Fred Perry top. They were having a great time together and it really made me smile to see a true teenager in the Teenage Fanclub Fanclub!

The run of About You, Start Again and Alcoholiday was incredible, warm guitar sounds washed over the audience

Norman xylophone was greeted like a long lost friend for Raymond's beautiful Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From. A truly beautiful song. As is Only With You.

Back In The Day is a real favourite from Endless Arcade and is it just me or does the closing section of The Concept get better every time I hear it?

John McCusker and Stu Kidd joined the band onstage for the beautiful new ballad I Left A Light On, although their sound could have been turned up a notch or two. It's a promising sign that the band are writing, recording and releasing new music. A new album next year?

There was sadly no room for Raymond's Can't Feel My Soul due to a strict curfew but Everything Flows was played with zip, zest and warm smile on stage and off.

Special shout out to Stephen Black who played bass in place of Dave due to re-re-rescheduling conflicts. He was super solid. As for the rest of the band, Raymond seemed to be really enjoying himself, Norman was smiling throughout, Euros has brought so much to the band and Francis was in top form, particularly on Warm Embrace and I'm In Love as he drove the band on at pace.

A great night from a band in brilliant form.

I’m In Love by Teenage Fanclub

I’m In Love is the new single by Teenage Fanclub as the band return following an extended break. Released to radio back in June, a new Brian Sweeney directed video has been released today to gee fellow Fanclub fans up ahead of the new album Here, set for release on 9th September.

The band have all been pretty busy since the release of 2010’s beautiful Shadows album. Norman has toured and released with Jonny, Jad Fair and the New Mendicants, Gerry delivered the summery delight of his Lightships album, Francis has released Building Jerusalem - a classical soundtrack and also an instrumental album, while Raymond has helped out Dave with Snowgoose and Dave has also been busy with Belle and Sebastian.

Naturally, it is a welcome return. Teenage Fanclub’s 2014 summer show at the Kelvingrove Bandstand was proof of the love that exists for this wonderful band. That has been demonstrated by the incredible response to the September warm-up shows and the winter tour, with many shows selling out quickly. I'm particularly looking forward to the Glasgow weekender!

On to I’m In Love. I first heard this song in May 2015 when I gave Norman and his very good friend Duglas a lift back to Bellshill from Edinburgh after they kindly played The Girl Effect charity show organised by my sister. The two were in fantastic form, bouncing off each other and discussing all kinds of music.

I couldn’t resist asking Norman what was happening with Teenage Fanclub and he was only too pleased to let me know, asking if I would like to hear some songs from the album! My wife Lynn is incredibly untechnical and couldn’t get Norman’s phone plugged in, so Norman was leaning over sorting this out as we sped along the M8!

Thankfully Norman got it sorted and we blasted out I’m In Love and a few other tracks, one that may be on the next Jonny album. My wife was a little drunk and commented ‘it’s very Teenage Fanclub’, causing us all to laugh!

I'm In Love is very Teenage Fanclub-y! It’s upbeat, positive, the harmonies sound as good as ever (if not better as I have missed them so much), a great guitar solo and it flows superbly. There is warmth, urgency, soul and it zips along, a 2 minutes and 41 seconds summery guitar pop wonder.

The video fits the song perfectly; showing the band getting together, recording, enjoying the scenery and hospitality offered by Edwyn Collins in Helmsdale. There are smiles, a kick about, the sun shines for TFC and a rainbow even makes an appearance.

Welcome back. Roll on the album and the shows.

You don’t know, what you mean to me

Girl I owe you my life

It feels good

When you're close to me

That’s enough, that’s enough

Isn’t life such a mystery?

I’m in love, with your love 

Refugees by Embrace

I kind of saw this coming; Danny McNamara's Facebook updates, a little teaser video, secret gigs…however as much as I like Embrace and have followed them since before the release of their debut album back in 1998, I didn't foresee such a stunning comeback single.

Embrace are back with their first new material since 2006, with Danny McNamara stating the band had been away so long because they were unwilling to return with an album unless it was better than their 1998 debut 'The Good Will Out'.

"That was the rule we set, and I think we've done that. If I was going to explain Embrace to a person that had never heard us, I'd play them 'All You Good, Good People', from our first album, 'Ashes' from 'Out Of Nothing' and this new album from start to finish."

"Some people who've heard the single have said it's not what they'd expect from us and that it doesn't sound like Embrace, but I think we've always moved things forward and tried new things. We've been away for quite a while, and for us this feels like natural evolution." 

Source - nme.com

It is a bullish statement, backed up by 'Refugees', the first single to be taken from their forthcoming eponymous album 'Embrace' that will be released in late April.

Beats kick in before melancholic piano chords are played over the top, bubbling synth comes in before Danny McNamara starts singing better than I have ever heard him before.

Nothing is rushed, much like the album which McNamara says that they have been working on for 5-years, only finishing it last week.

The chorus lifts things higher, soaring and flowing superbly. And things just keep getting better!

Following the second chorus, there is a brilliant synth instrumental that builds into a crescendo lasting for a full minute before McNamara comes back in sounding all reflective and beautiful.

I've always enjoyed seeing Embrace live, including some classic shows at King Tut's and the Barrowland. I hope they return to Glasgow soon. They have announced some small Scottish shows HERE.

Have to say that I am blown away by this. Check the video below;