Teenage Fanclub
★★★★ Endless Arcade PEMA. CD/DL/LP
After the Love has gone: beloved Glaswegians regroup.
THE SAD departure of Gerard Love in 2018 initially seemed an insurmountable obstacle, but as far as crunch-time for a singular songwriter’s circle goes, Endless
Arcade exudes pragmatism. Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley simply divvy-up its 12 luminous songs and relish their extra air-time. The procurement of Euros Childs (Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci; Jonny) on keyboards and additional backing vocals acts like a beautiful failsafe. Blake’s relationship break-up and return to Glasgow has sparked some stupendous material, not least The Sun Won’t
Shine On Me, nodding at Sonny & Cher’s I Got You Babe, and faith-in-people-not-God song, I’m
More Inclined. Elsewhere, McGinley seems to be more philosophical than ever on Come With Me and The Future, crackers both. A searching, typically heartwarming record about middle-aged men somewhat adrift, yet ultimately anchored to people and place, Endless Arcade testifies to the Fannies’ endurance.