Let’s be honest, there’s precious little left to be said about Teenage Fanclub. Unless they have a surprise reinvention as cutting-edge trap producers – and I can state with some confidence that Here is not that record – you know pretty much what you’ll be getting by now: there will be softly strummed guitars, there will be gorgeous harmonies, and there will be no need whatsoever for anyone to print out parental advisory stickers.
It’s been several albums now since the Scottish band’s knack for crafting heart-tugging melodies truly peaked with Grand Prix and Songs from Northern Britain. Yet Here is rarely less than lovely and boasts plentiful songs – most notably The Darkest Part of the Night and The First Sight, with their subtle orchestral underpinnings – that suggest we’ll always be glad to be reacquainted with them.