Teenage Fanclub - Man-Made

Okay, any indie cred that I may have established previously is about to be shot. Man-Made is my first Teenage Fanclub record. I didn't hear the previously released Howdy, never been exposed to Thirteen, Grand Prix, Songs From Northern Britain, or any of their countless number of releases. So how does this fresh new release compare to previous efforts? I've no idea. What I can tell you is that Man-Made is a pop record with a tendency to mix your traditional verse-chorus-verse structure with a few noisy guitars and harmonies. However, nothing about this album is hard-hitting or struggling for attention. The overall feel of the record is that it is quite soft - even the production values feel as if the band strove to keep things gentle and strolling along. Fortunately this tactic makes the subtle changes between songs even that much more appreciated. The dark to surprisingly uplifting vocal line of "Save," the afflicted bridge of "Time Stops," the piano of "Only With You," and the Allman Brothers-esque lead guitar on "Feel" all sort of take you for a twist when you're just expecting yet another pop song. The problem with something that has been crafted so meticulously that it appears to be overly simple is that without a few listens, some listenings where you are really paying attention, it could easily be chalked up to mediocrity. On the surface (aka casual listen) Man-Made is just another low-key, somewhat adult contemporary disc of songs. However, with a little bit of careful listening you can come to appreciate the little touches permeating every track. [www.teenagefanclub.com]