Olga Bas Photography + Music Reviews » tears

The Tears – Here Come the Tears

Galatea — Wed, 18 May 2005 23:09:03 +0000

Released: June 6th 2005

This must be one of the more anticipated albums of the year. People want to see if former glory can be recaptured. Can The Tears do it? Can they help revive the ghost of a lost era? Well, they’ve definitely made something true to heart. Their heart, that is.

The first half is sublimely positive: book-ended by ‘Refugees’, the current single, and ‘Lovers’, the catchiest tune on the album, upbeat and soaring in its carefree attitude. But the first half also has a marked lack of truly impressionable lyrics. Not to say that happy songs cannot have good wordplay, but lines such as “we stick like shoe in gum” from ‘Imperfections’ cannot help but inspire laughter at the silliness of it all. Though it is a very good thing that Brett Anderson has brightened up enough to sing about it. The reason for this contentedness was surely caused by his reunion with Bernard Butler. When things are right, they’re right and those two have the precise dynamic to create truly good music together. ‘Co-Star’ seems like a right enough way to commemorate this joint vision.

The second half is much more somber and melancholy. ‘Brave New Century’ is poignant in pointing out the pitfalls of the modern age and ‘Beautiful Pain’ mirrors the split of mood apparent in the songs following it. It wraps up with two achingly beautiful tracks. ‘Apollo 13′ and ‘A Love As Strong As Death’ build up with a slow burn – sweeping guitars and earnest words – not laughable in the least. They break your heart and sweep you off your feet. Top form from all concerned.

‘Here Come The Tears’ may not change the face of a generation, but the music is pleasant at worst and inspirational at best.

Previously published on This Is Fake DIY.

The Tears – Refugees

Galatea — Sun, 17 Apr 2005 23:19:36 +0000

Released: April 25th 2005

The reunion of Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson prompted much rejoicing. And there is good reason for it. ‘Refugees’ channels all the free and fresh things – an unbridled optimism – and it manages it in just under three minutes.

The sound is blissfully triumphant, a more upbeat tune to suit the new, upbeat attitude. It’s an easy song to take to and an easy song to hum to and maybe even twirl to a bit. Anderson even takes the opportunity to insinuate a political opinion that he’s held for two years in between the guitar flourishes. This is the perfect chance to start anew and raise something innovative from the ashes of the old.

You cannot escape the comparison with the early Suede material; after all, the creative team has not changed. But just think of it as a long, silent hiatus that replenished their creativity and helped them gather the strength to take the charts by storm.

Previously published on This Is Fake DIY.

Introducing: The Tears

Galatea — Mon, 11 Apr 2005 00:58:22 +0000

The Tears have arrived.

The Tears‘ line up officially reads Brett Anderson on vocals, Bernard Butler on guitar, Nathan Fisher on bass, Will Foster on keyboards, and Mako Sakamoto on drums. In reality, it may as well just say ‘Anderson and Butler, reunited at last’.

Their creative partnership began after Butler responded to an advert for a guitarist in NME, back in October 1989, and resulted in the forming of Suede. Lasting for five years, in which the songwriting team burned so brightly in their swift rise it wasn’t long before they were mentioned in the same breath as the Morrissey and Marr companionship, before it dissolved into arguments and verbal abuse. The fall out came before the band’s second album ‘Dog Man Star’ was wrapped, and on 19th July 1994, Butler’s departure from Suede was officially announced.

Despite doubts that the band could stand on just one leg, Suede snapped back from the shock and managed to release five more albums whilst Bernard worked solo and dabbled in collaboration. After ploughing ahead with only half of their creative power, going through several lineup changes, and immersing themselves a little too far in the destructive rock n’ roll lifestyle, the band disbanded on good terms, Anderson stating that he “need[ed] to do whatever it takes to get [his] demon back”.

Butler turned out to be this long-lost element. After practically a decade of silence stretching between them, and only a chance encounter that almost put Anderson under Butler’s car in 1996 to qualify as a meeting, they finally sat down for a quiet talk – once Brett made the first move and picked up the phone. Pushing aside the enmity that drove them apart, they convened at Butler’s home studio to demo their new material, making the final mix in a studio in East London.

“The first thing we said when we got together was that we won’t release a note of music unless the album’s spectacular” declared Anderson, his renewed vigour and creativity as high as during the sessions which provided the first, and some would argue best, Suede album. Naming themselves The Tears, as per the inspiration granted by the last line of the Philip Larkin poem ‘Femmes Damnées’ – a cheerless, depressing yet poignantly poetic affair, they are set for a resurrection.

Brushing off the dust for a live showcase of the new material, the band played several sold out gigs to eager fans, many of whom were seeing the dynamic duo together on stage for the first time. A proper tour is set to commence this month, and is likely to only whet our appetite further. The consensus is that whatever it is they have cooked up, it’s certainly noteworthy. But don’t expect any Suede songs, Butler insists, and rightly so – this band is called The Tears for a reason.

Their first – and hopefully not only – album ‘Here Come The Tears’ is to drop sometime in June, preceded by the single ‘Refugees’ on April 25th. Expectations are running high, fueled by the delay of both releases. Wiser from their ten years apart, and eager to make great music together, it’s time they wowed a whole new generation of music devotees.

Previously published on This Is Fake DIY.