Spacey synths, organs, violins, slide guitar, mandolins, and banjos give that 70s folk singer-songwriter vibe. This adds a little polish to the records sound, but it never gets overproduced. Teenage Fanclub keep instrumental hooks short, but the album is more than chimey acoustic guitars. Bass guitar blasts, Keith Moon-like drumming, and fuzzy guitars mark the outro of “Sometimes I Don’t Need.” Having three guitar solos playing simultaneously like on “The Back of My Mind” sounds complex but never muddled.
But Shadows remains a light rock album which may seem tiring for fans of tougher genres. With 12 tracks, it doesn’t feel too long. Most long-running bands weakly attempt to return to their hit sound. Teenage Fanclub really haven’t left it in the first place.
Grade: 
Article comments