Endless Arcade

Last updated

Endless Arcade
Endless Arcade.jpeg
Studio album by
Teenage Fanclub
Released30 April 2021 (2021-04-30)
RecordedJanuary 2019–March 2020 [1] [2] [3]
Studio
Genre
Length44:24
Label
  • PeMa (Europe)
  • Merge (North America)
Producer Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub chronology
Here
(2016)		Endless Arcade
(2021)		 Nothing Lasts Forever
(2023)
Singles from Endless Arcade
  1. "Everything Is Falling Apart"
    Released: February 20, 2019
  2. "Home"
    Released: November 11, 2020
  3. "I'm More Inclined"
    Released: January 25, 2021
  4. "The Sun Won't Shine On Me"
    Released: March 15, 2021
  5. "In Our Dreams"
    Released: April 13, 2021

Endless Arcade is the eleventh full studio album by Scottish band Teenage Fanclub. Released on 30 April 2021, it is the band's first record since the departure of co-founder Gerard Love in late 2018 and their first with former Gorky's Zygotic Mynci member Euros Childs. The album's title comes from co-founder Raymond McGinley's song of the same name, with McGinley envisioning an endless arcade as "a city that you can wander through, with a sense of mystery, an imaginary one that goes on forever. When it came to choosing an album title, it seemed to have something for this collection of songs." [5]

Contents

Background

After parting ways with Gerard Love following a series of late 2018 shows in which Teenage Fanclub performed the five recently reissued albums they had recorded for Creation Records during the Nineties in full, [6] the band regrouped in January 2019 with long-time member Dave McGowan switching over from playing keyboards and guitar to fill the bassist position vacated by Love. Euros Childs – who also collaborates with Teenage Fanclub co-founder Norman Blake in the side project Jonny – joined the band on keyboards.

When they started gathering material for a new album, Blake already had a song called "I'm More Inclined" ready to be presented to the rest of the band. Following approval of the song, they soon set about recording their new album. [7]

Recording

In January 2019 the new-look Teenage Fanclub relocated to Hamburg, Germany, a city that they had grown to love, [8] for recording sessions at Clouds Hill Recordings, a facility in which they had mixed their previous album, Here . [9] Following these sessions, they embarked on a tour of Asia, Australia, North America and Europe from February to April. [10] They would then return to Clouds Hill in late November 2019 for more recording. [1] Additional recording was also done at Raymond McGinley's home studio in Glasgow and at Rockfield Studios in Wales. [11]

As the remaining ever-present members of Teenage Fanclub, Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley maintained a pragmatic outlook towards the differences in recording with the new line-up, with McGinley commenting, "With Gerry not being there…it’s different. But then Dave is on bass and Euros is there. It’s an inspiring thing!" [8] Meanwhile, according to Blake, "I think some of the playing is a bit freer and looser than on recent albums. Dave and Euros’ playing is amazing, and Francis [Macdonald] on drums is really swinging." [12]

After plans to release the album in October 2020 and go on tour for the remainder of the year fell through, Blake and McGinley used the extra time caused by the enforced postponement for further work on mixing the album in Glasgow. [8]

Release

On 20 February 2019, Teenage Fanclub released the first taste of their recent recording session in the form of "Everything Is Falling Apart", which was written and sung by Raymond McGinley. [13]

In March 2020 the band announced that their new album, Endless Arcade, was to be released in October to coincide with a UK and Europe tour the following November and December. [1] However, in June they subsequently rescheduled the tour for April and May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the album's release also pushed back ahead of the new tour dates. [14]

On 11 November 2020, Teenage Fanclub announced Endless Arcade's release date of 5 March 2021, along with the album's track listing. They also released a single edit and video for "Home", the album's opening track which was penned and sung by Norman Blake. [15]

On 25 January 2021, Teenage Fanclub released Blake's song “I'm More Inclined” as a single. They also announced that Endless Arcade’s release date had been pushed back to 30 April 2021 due to “circumstances beyond our control.” The band's tour dates in support of the album were also postponed to September 2021 and April and May 2022. [16]

"The Sun Won't Shine on Me", another Blake-written song from the album, was released on 15 March 2021, [17] followed by the album's final single, McGinley's "In Our Dreams", on 13 April 2021. [18] [19]

Reception

Endless Arcade currently holds a 7.5/10 score on AnyDecentMusic?, which has conglomerated 20 reviews from various publications, [20] and according to Metacritic, another review aggregation site, a score of 79/100 – based on 18 reviewers – indicates a "generally favorable" consensus. [21]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [22]
The Arts Desk Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [23]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [24]
MusicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [25]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [26]
Pitchfork 7/10 [27]
PopMatters 7/10 [28]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [29]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [30]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [31]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Home" Norman Blake 7:04
2."Endless Arcade" Raymond McGinley 3:25
3."Warm Embrace"Blake2:07
4."Everything Is Falling Apart"McGinley4:28
5."The Sun Won't Shine on Me"Blake2:40
6."Come with Me"McGinley3:27
7."In Our Dreams"McGinley4:15
8."I'm More Inclined"Blake3:20
9."Back in the Day"Blake3:49
10."The Future"McGinley3:06
11."Living with You"Blake2:55
12."Silent Song"McGinley3:48
Total length:44:24

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes. [11]

Teenage Fanclub

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for Endless Arcade
Chart (2021)Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [32] 57
Irish Albums (IRMA) [33] 51
Scottish Albums (OCC) [34] 2
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [35] 95
UK Albums (OCC) [36] 11
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [37] 3

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teenage Fanclub</span> Scottish alternative rock band

Teenage Fanclub are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in Glasgow in 1989. The group were founded by Norman Blake, Raymond McGinley and Gerard Love, all of whom shared lead vocals and songwriting duties until Love's departure in 2018. As of 2023, the band's lineup consists of Blake, McGinley, Francis Macdonald, Dave McGowan and Euros Childs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman Blake (Scottish musician)</span> Scottish singer, songwriter and musician

Norman Blake is a Scottish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter in the Glasgow-based band Teenage Fanclub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euros Childs</span> Musical artist

Euros Childs is a Welsh musician and songwriter, perhaps best known as the frontman for the band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and—as of January 2019—the keyboardist for Teenage Fanclub. His sister, violinist Megan Childs, was also a member of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, and their father Lynn played on some Gorky's recordings, most notably on Barafundle. Childs was born in Freshwater East, Pembrokeshire, and was educated at the Welsh-medium school Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin in Carmarthenshire.

<i>A Catholic Education</i> 1990 studio album by Teenage Fanclub

A Catholic Education is the debut album by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, released in 1990.

<i>The King</i> (Teenage Fanclub album) 1991 studio album by Teenage Fanclub

The King is the second album by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, deleted on its day of release in 1991.

<i>Bandwagonesque</i> 1991 studio album by Teenage Fanclub

Bandwagonesque is the third album by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, released in November 1991 on Creation Records. The album gave the band substantial US success when the single "Star Sign" reached number four on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, becoming their biggest hit in that country, with "What You Do to Me" and "The Concept" also becoming top 20 hits on that chart. Bandwagonesque was voted 'album of the year' for 1991 by American music magazine Spin, beating R.E.M.'s Out of Time and Nirvana's Nevermind.

<i>Thirteen</i> (Teenage Fanclub album) 1993 studio album by Teenage Fanclub

Thirteen is the fourth album by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, released in 1993 on Creation Records in the UK and Geffen in the US. It was commonly believed at the time that it was named after the song "Thirteen" by Big Star, a band that has heavily influenced Teenage Fanclub. The self-produced album was poorly received by critics on its release. It peaked at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Songs from Northern Britain</i> 1997 studio album by Teenage Fanclub

Songs from Northern Britain is the sixth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub. Produced by David Bianco and the group themselves, the album was released on 29 July 1997 through Creation Records. Teenage Fanclub's previous album, Grand Prix, had been seen as a comeback in their home of the UK, though its success elsewhere was limited. With more time and resources, the band recorded Songs from Northern Britain—a tongue-in-cheek title referring to their native Scotland—with producer David Bianco in Surrey. The record's lyrical themes focus heavily on love and domestic life. The album was completed at London's AIR Studios, and its accompanying artwork was taken by photographer Donald Milne around the Scottish Highlands.

<i>Howdy!</i> (Teenage Fanclub album) 2000 studio album by Teenage Fanclub

Howdy! is the seventh album by Scottish rock band Teenage Fanclub, released on 23 October 2000 through Columbia Records. With the addition of keyboardist Finlay MacDonald, the band wrote new material, eventually debuting some of it live in early 1999. Following this, they recorded their next album at Rockfield Studios in Wales, as well as Astoria in London, between August 1999 and March 2000. Shortly afterwards, drummer Paul Quinn left the band and was replaced by Francis MacDonald. Howdy! is an Americana and power pop album, recalling the work of the Hollies.

<i>Man-Made</i> Album by Teenage Fanclub

Man-Made is the eighth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, released on 9 May 2005. It was released on the band's own PeMa label in Europe and on Merge Records in North America.

<i>Words of Wisdom and Hope</i> 2002 studio album by Teenage Fanclub and Jad Fair

Words of Wisdom and Hope is an album produced in collaboration between Glasgow, Scotland's Teenage Fanclub and Half Japanese frontman Jad Fair. It was released on 4 March 2002 on Domino's subsidiary label Geographic in Europe and on Alternative Tentacles in the US.

<i>Four Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-Six Seconds – A Short Cut to Teenage Fanclub</i> 2003 greatest hits album by Teenage Fanclub

Four Thousand Seven Hundred And Sixty-Six Seconds - A Short Cut To Teenage Fanclub is a greatest hits album by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, released on 27 January 2003. The title refers to the album's total length, just 34 seconds short of the maximum running time possible on a single CD: as a consequence the tracks "Star Sign" and "My Uptight Life" were edited from its original versions in order to fit on to the album. "Everything Flows" was remixed for this collection.

<i>God Knows Its True</i> 1990 EP by Teenage Fanclub

God Knows It's True is an EP by Scottish rock band Teenage Fanclub, released in 1990 in the UK by Paperhouse Records and in 1991 in the USA by Matador Records. It was co-produced by Don Fleming, who had been introduced to the band earlier in 1990 by word of mouth, and who would also work on the band's next two albums, The King and Bandwagonesque.

<i>Teenage Fanclub Have Lost It</i> 1995 EP by Teenage Fanclub

Teenage Fanclub Have Lost It is an EP by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, released in December 1995 on Creation Records. It reached #53 in the UK singles chart.

<i>Shadows</i> (Teenage Fanclub album) 2010 studio album by Teenage Fanclub

Shadows is the ninth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, released on 31 May 2010 on the band's own PeMa label in Europe and on Merge Records in North America. It is the band's first new album release in five years. The album contains twelve songs: four written by Gerard Love, four by Norman Blake, and four by Raymond McGinley. Blake's "Baby Lee" was released as a single.

Jonny is a two-person band formed by Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub and Euros Childs of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. The two bands toured together in 1997 and Blake contributed to the Gorky's Zygotic Mynci album How I Long to Feel That Summer in My Heart (2001).

Snowgoose is a Scottish, Glasgow-based folk rock band. The band was formed as a three-piece with Jim McCulloch on guitar, Dave McGowan on bass and Anna Sheard on vocals. Raymond McGinley and Stuart Kidd joined to make the band a five-piece. The debut album Harmony Springs was released on vinyl on 21 April 2012 as part of Record Store Day. A CD and download release followed on 12 November 2012. The album was recorded in Norfolk, and at McGinley's studio in Glasgow, and features guest appearances from Norman Blake, John McCusker, Dave McCluskey, and Peter Domberknowsky.

<i>Here</i> (Teenage Fanclub album) 2016 studio album by Teenage Fanclub

Here is the tenth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, released on 9 September 2016 on the band's own PeMa label in Europe and on Merge Records in North America. It was the band's final album to feature bassist and co-founder Gerard Love, who left the band in November 2018.

<i>Wild Loneliness</i> 2022 studio album by Superchunk

Wild Loneliness is the twelfth studio album by the American indie rock band Superchunk. It was released on February 25, 2022, by Merge Records. Ahead of the album release, the band put out three singles: "Endless Summer", "This Night", and "On the Floor".

<i>Nothing Lasts Forever</i> (Teenage Fanclub album) 2023 studio album by Teenage Fanclub

Nothing Lasts Forever is the twelfth full studio album by Scottish band Teenage Fanclub, released on 22 September 2023 through PeMa in Europe and Merge Records in North America. It received positive reviews from critics.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Richards, Sam (3 March 2020). "Teenage Fanclub announce new album, Endless Arcade". Uncut. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  2. ↑ Page, Gary (30 April 2021). "Teenage Fanclub – Endless Arcade, review". Something You Said. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  3. ↑ Walker, Gary (16 April 2021). ""We've never stopped. This thing is our life and we don't know anything else": Teenage Fanclub on touring with Nirvana and new album Endless Arcade". Guitar.com . Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  4. ↑ "Teenage Fanclub Sticks to Its Melancholic Jangle-Pop on 'Endless Arcade' (ALBUM REVIEW)". 4 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Richards, Will (15 November 2020). "Teenage Fanclub announce new album 'Endless Arcade' with single 'Home'". NME. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  6. ↑ Shepherd, Fiona (17 November 2019). "Gerry Love on leaving Teenage Fanclub: "I don't feel I was the victim, I had a part to play in it"". The Scotsman. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  7. ↑ Blistein, Jon (26 January 2021). "Teenage Fanclub Drop Devotional New Song 'I'm More Inclined'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 Murray, Robin (27 November 2020). "A Gradual Evolution: Teenage Fanclub in Conversation". Clash. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  9. ↑ Blake, Norman (9 September 2016). "Teenage Fanclub on the making of new album Here". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  10. ↑ Sigler, Gabriel (3 February 2019). "Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake on the band's revamped lineup, new music, and what they learned on the OK Computer tour". Bad Feeling Magazine. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  11. 1 2 Endless Arcade (Media notes). Teenage Fanclub. PeMa. 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ Kenneally, Cerys (11 November 2020). "Teenage Fanclub announce first album in four years Endless Arcade". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  13. ↑ Reed, Ryan (20 February 2019). "Teenage Fanclub Unveil New Lineup in 'Everything Is Falling Apart' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  14. ↑ Baines, Huw (12 June 2020). "Teenage Fanclub Reschedule UK and Ireland Shows For 2021". Stereoboard. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  15. ↑ Deville, Chris (11 November 2020). "Teenage Fanclub – "Home"". Stereogum. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  16. ↑ Gallagher, Alex (26 January 2021). "Teenage Fanclub share new single 'I'm More Inclined', postpone album and tour dates". NME. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  17. ↑ Murray, Robin (15 March 2021). "Teenage Fanclub's 'The Sun Won't Shine On Me' Is A Gentle Waltz". Clash. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  18. ↑ Leas, Ryan (13 April 2021). "Teenage Fanclub – "In Our Dreams"". Stereogum . Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  19. ↑ "VIDEO: Teenage Fanclub share new single "In Our Dreams" from new album "Endless Arcade"". The Rockpit. 17 April 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  20. ↑ "Endless Arcade by Teenage Fanclub reviews | Any Decent Music". www.anydecentmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  21. ↑ Endless Arcade by Teenage Fanclub , retrieved 19 July 2021
  22. ↑ Collar, Matt (2021). "Endless Arcade Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  23. ↑ Tyler, Kieron (26 April 2021). "Album: Teenage Fanclub - Endless Arcade". The Arts Desk . Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  24. ↑ McNair, James (June 2021). "Teenage Fanclub – Endless Arcade". Mojo . p. 82. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  25. ↑ Johnson, Steven (27 April 2021). "Teenage Fanclub – Endless Arcade". MusicOMH . Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  26. ↑ Empire, Kitty (2 May 2021). "Teenage Fanclub: Endless Arcade review – heartbreak and joy". The Observer . Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  27. ↑ Sodomsky, Sam (30 April 2021). "Teenage Fanclub: Endless Arcade". Pitchfork . Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  28. ↑ Kearney, Kevin (30 April 2021). "Teenage Fanclub's Sunny Fatalism on Display in 'Endless Arcade'". PopMatters . Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  29. ↑ Goldsmith, Mike (25 February 2021). "Endless Arcade - Teenage Fanclub". Record Collector . Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  30. ↑ Winograd, Jeremy (20 April 2021). "Review: Teenage Fanclub's Endless Arcade Is a Welcome Reminder of Days Gone By". Slant Magazine . Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  31. ↑ Pinnock, Tom (10 May 2021). "Teenage Fanclub – Endless Arcade". Uncut . Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  32. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Teenage Fanclub – Endless Arcade" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  33. ↑ "Irish Albums Chart: 7 May 2021". Irish Recorded Music Association . Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  34. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  35. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Teenage Fanclub – Endless Arcade". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  36. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  37. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.