Tender Buttons (album)

Last updated

Tender Buttons
Tenderbuttons.jpg
Studio album by
Broadcast
Released19 September 2005 (2005-09-19)
Genre
Length40:34
Label Warp
Producer
Broadcast chronology
Haha Sound
(2003)		Tender Buttons
(2005)		 The Future Crayon
(2006)
Singles from Tender Buttons
  1. "America's Boy"
    Released: 15 August 2005

Tender Buttons is the third studio album by British indie electronic band Broadcast. Following the departure of several bandmembers, the album was recorded largely as the core duo of Trish Keenan and James Cargill, and as such is considered to have a rawer and more stripped back sound than previous Broadcast releases. It was released on 19 September 2005 by Warp. Upon its release, Tender Buttons received acclaim from critics but failed to place in international charts. "America's Boy", the lead and only single from the album, peaked at No. 139 in the UK Singles Chart. [1]

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 76/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly B− [4]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [6]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
NME 8/10 [8]
Pitchfork 7.5/10 [9]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
URB Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]

Upon its release, Tender Buttons received critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews and ratings from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 76, based on 21 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [2] AllMusic writer Heather Phares said that the album "strips [the band's] luminous electronic pop down to its barest essence" and "has a uniquely fresh, modern feel. Sparingly applied beats, intricate but subtle guitars, and hazy synths dominate the album, providing a restrained backdrop for Keenan's quietly commanding voice and crossword-puzzle lyrics." [3] The Guardian 's David Peschek wrote that "Broadcast's recent records have often seemed too cluttered with effects" but that on Tender Buttons the band "managed to find a halfway house between this always engaging but fussed-at sound and … resonant, muscular psychedelia". [5] In a positive review, Paul Woloszyn of musicOMH said that the album "takes you to another planet with a sonic soundscape lent from Stereolab, but developed to be distinctly Broadcast", and referred to the album as "arguably their finest moment". [13]

Writing for Stylus Magazine , Jeff Siegel said that "on its surface, [Tender Buttons] seems like such a simple little curlicue, all Mother Goose coos, descending-scale melodies, and no-wave screech over dinky drum-machine patters … no mucking around in different time signatures, no showy genre fusions, just a single idea … most acts would falter here, but Broadcast pull it off with an easy grace and breezy elegance". [14] PopMatters reviewer Adrien Begrand wrote that "instead of finding a comfortable middle ground, there's more of a sense of tension to the proceedings, the vocal hooks lulling you, only to have electronic noise jolt you awake", further referring to Tender Buttons as "rewarding [and] their boldest album to date." [15] Pitchfork 's David Raposa was more reserved in his praise, saying that the band "bring the melodies, but then dress their poptastic efforts with whatever ruckus they can conjure" and "there's no … stand-out track on this album (and there's certainly no 'oh wow' moments)" but concluding that "this is still a Broadcast album, meaning it's one of the better things you'll put in your ear this year." [15]

In 2018, Pitchfork ranked Tender Buttons at number seven on its list of the 30 best dream pop albums. [16] In 2023, British GQ ranked it at number eight on its list of the 10 best electronic albums of all time. [17]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Trish Keenan and James Cargill

No.TitleLength
1."I Found the F"2:21
2."Black Cat"3:58
3."Tender Buttons"2:51
4."America's Boy"3:34
5."Tears in the Typing Pool"2:12
6."Corporeal"3:54
7."Bit 35"1:49
8."Arc of a Journey"5:17
9."Michael A Grammar"3:56
10."Subject to the Ladder"3:13
11."Minus 3" (also known as "Evil Is Coming")0:47
12."Goodbye Girls"3:08
13."You and Me in Time"1:24
14."I Found the End"2:05
Total length:40:34
Japanese CD [18] bonus track
No.TitleLength
15."Microtronics 14"1:30
Total length:42:04

Personnel

All personnel credits adapted from Tender Buttons' album notes. [19]

Broadcast
Design personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadcast (band)</span> British electronic rock music group

Broadcast were an English band formed in Birmingham in 1995 by Trish Keenan and James Cargill (bass). Their musical style blended elements of 1960s psychedelia with early electronic music and samples from esoteric sources; it earned the band a cult following.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunshowers</span> 2004 single by M.I.A.

"Sunshowers" is a song by British musician M.I.A. from her debut studio album, Arular. It was written and produced by Maya "M.I.A." Arulpragasam, Ross Orton, Steve Mackey, August Darnell and Stony Jr. Browder, with additional vocals and production by Nesreen Shah and Anthony Whiting. The song was released as the second single of the album on 7 July 2004 following the 2003 release of debut "Galang" and is M.I.A.'s first official release with XL Recordings. Released in vinyl record and CD single format, with the song "Fire Fire" serving as the song's B-side, "Sunshowers" was distributed by Interscope Records in the US.

<i>Supernature</i> (Goldfrapp album) 2005 studio album by Goldfrapp

Supernature is the third studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 17 August 2005 by Mute Records. The album received generally favourable reviews, with most critics complimenting its blend of pop and electronic music. It debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 52,976 copies, and has been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Supernature has sold one million copies worldwide.

<i>Rounds</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Four Tet

Rounds is the third solo album by British electronic musician Kieran Hebden, released under his alias Four Tet on 5 May 2003 by Domino Recording Company. Wanting to make a more personal record, Hebden recorded and produced the album in his North London flat over ten months using a desktop computer and a home hi-fi system. Its ten tracks feature elements of hip hop, jazz and folk; apart from a guitar part recorded for "Slow Jam", the music is composed from between 200 and 300 samples, many processed beyond recognition.

<i>The Noise Made by People</i> 2000 studio album by Broadcast

The Noise Made by People is the debut studio album by English indie electronic band Broadcast. It was released on 20 March 2000 by Warp. The band recorded and produced the album themselves after being dissatisfied with the results of earlier recording sessions helmed by external engineers.

<i>Haha Sound</i> 2003 studio album by Broadcast

Haha Sound is the second studio album by English indie electronic band Broadcast. It was released on 11 August 2003 by Warp Records.

<i>Witching Hour</i> (Ladytron album) 2005 studio album by Ladytron

Witching Hour is the third studio album by English electronic music band Ladytron, released on 3 October 2005 through Island Records internationally and Rykodisc in the United States. The album was promoted by four singles: "Sugar", "Destroy Everything You Touch", "Weekend" and "Soft Power".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ooh La La (Goldfrapp song)</span> 2005 single by Goldfrapp

"Ooh La La" is a song by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp from their third studio album, Supernature (2005). Written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, the song consists largely of a synthesiser and guitar arrangement, and has been described as "a dirty, decadent homage to Marc Bolan".

<i>Neon Golden</i> 2002 studio album by The Notwist

Neon Golden is the fifth studio album by German indie rock band The Notwist. It was released on 14 January 2002 by City Slang.

<i>Summer Sun</i> 2003 studio album by Yo La Tengo

Summer Sun is the tenth studio album by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo, released on April 8, 2003 by record label Matador.

<i>Darkel</i> 2006 studio album by Darkel

Darkel is the debut solo studio album by French musician Darkel, one half of the French electronica band Air. It was released in September 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trish Keenan</span> Musical artist

Patricia Anne Keenan was an English musician and singer. She was the lead vocalist and founding member of the electronic band Broadcast, which she formed in 1995. The band released a total of five studio albums, including The Noise Made by People (2000), Haha Sound (2003), and Tender Buttons (2005), and earned a cult following.

<i>Strange Geometry</i> 2005 studio album by The Clientele

Strange Geometry is the third studio album by English indie pop band The Clientele. The album was released on 30 August 2005 by Merge Records and on 5 September 2005 by Pointy Records. It was recorded in Walthamstow, London, and received generally positive reviews upon release.

<i>Bitchin</i> 2007 studio album by The Donnas

Bitchin' is the seventh and final studio album by the American hard rock band The Donnas, released in 2007 on their own label Purple Feather and released through RedEye. It is their first album since leaving Atlantic Records. The record was produced by Jay Ruston and The Donnas. Two of the tracks, "Wasted" and "Here for the Party", were co-written with songwriter Holly Knight.

<i>The Only She Chapters</i> 2011 studio album by Prefuse 73

The Only She Chapters is a 2011 studio album by Guillermo Scott Herren under his alias of Prefuse 73.

<i>Berberian Sound Studio</i> (soundtrack) 2013 soundtrack album by Broadcast

Berberian Sound Studio is an original soundtrack album by the British band Broadcast. The album is a soundtrack to Peter Strickland's 2012 horror film Berberian Sound Studio. Recording for the album began after Strickland approached Broadcast members James Cargill and Trish Keenan about providing the music for the soundtrack to an unseen fictional film contained within the main Berberian Sound Studio film; Cargill completed the album following the sudden death of Keenan in 2011. Berberian Sound Studio was released by Warp in January 2013, and marked Broadcast's first new material since 2009's Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadcast discography</span>

The discography of Broadcast, an English indie electronic band, consists of three studio albums, one demo album, one collaborative mini album, one soundtrack album, two compilation albums, seven extended plays and seven singles.

<i>Giraffe</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Echoboy

Giraffe is the third full-length album by British musician Richard Warren, released under his pseudonym, Echoboy. It was released on February 10, 2003 on Mute Records in the United Kingdom and on February 25 of that year in the United States. It was produced by Flood.

<i>Electrically Possessed</i> 2021 compilation album by Stereolab

Electrically Possessed is a compilation album by the English-French band Stereolab, released on 26 February 2021 under Duophonic Records and Warp Records. It collects the band's rarities, and is the fourth of their "Switched-On" compilation series. The track "Dimension M2" was released following the compilation's announcement, followed by "Household Names", taken from the mini album The First of the Microbe Hunters.

<i>Spell Blanket</i> 2024 demo album by Broadcast

Spell Blanket is the first demo album by British indie electronic group Broadcast. It was released on 3 May 2024, through Warp Records. This album marks the fourth posthumous release by Broadcast after lead singer Trish Keenan's death in 2011, and the final release of unheard material from the group.

References

  1. ↑ Zywietz, Tobias. "1994–2010 / Darren B – David Byrne". Chart Log UK. zobbel.de. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Reviews for Tender Buttons by Broadcast". Metacritic . Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  3. 1 2 Phares, Heather. "Tender Buttons – Broadcast". AllMusic . Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  4. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (23 September 2005). "Broadcast: Tender Buttons". Entertainment Weekly . p. 90.
  5. 1 2 Peschek, David (16 September 2005). "Broadcast, Tender Buttons". The Guardian . Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  6. ↑ Sauma, Luiza (18 September 2005). "Broadcast: Tender Buttons (Warp)". The Independent .
  7. ↑ "Broadcast: Tender Buttons". Mojo (143): 118. October 2005.
  8. ↑ "Broadcast: Tender Buttons". NME : 58. 17 September 2005.
  9. ↑ Raposa, David (18 September 2005). "Broadcast: Tender Buttons". Pitchfork . Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  10. ↑ "Broadcast: Tender Buttons". Q (231): 115. October 2005.
  11. ↑ "Broadcast: Tender Buttons". Uncut (101): 96. October 2005.
  12. ↑ "Broadcast: Tender Buttons". URB (130): 77. October 2005.
  13. ↑ Woloszyn, Paul (19 September 2005). "Broadcast – Tender Buttons". musicOMH . Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  14. ↑ Siegel, Jeff (23 September 2005). "Broadcast – Tender Buttons – Review". Stylus Magazine . Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  15. 1 2 Begrand, Adrien (20 October 2005). "Broadcast: Tender Buttons". PopMatters . Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  16. ↑ "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums". Pitchfork . 16 April 2018. p. 3. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  17. ↑ "The 10 best electronic albums of all time". British GQ . 12 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  18. ↑ Tender Buttons (Album notes). Broadcast. Beat Records. 2005. BRC-134.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ↑ Tender Buttons (Album notes). Broadcast. Warp Records. 2005. WARPCD136.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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.