This is an album of absolute luxury.
Each track on ‘The Melancholy Season’ is decadent and opulent, the vocals from Tench are soothing and velvety throughout while the strings that accompany the vocals are mesmerising and tranquil, all which intertwine with the other elements to envelop the listener in swathes of cascading and lapping tides of harmonies and melodies which wash you away to a paradise far far away.
Title track ‘The Melancholy Season’ sees a richness to Tenchs voice and the drums ticking away in the background are sublime and rich while the keys are plush and endearing throughout. ‘Pledge’ opens you up to more of an upbeat tempo which seems to push the vocals to the forefront while the arrangement backing up the words are wealthy and elegant. The strings are palatial and add even more volume to the song with ‘Rattle’ bringing a rock and roll skin reminiscent of a Cadillac flying down the freeway and through the interstate to the album and sits perfectly within its allotted slot on the release.
‘Not Enough’ is my personal highlight, it soulful and totally absorbs you into the blues tinged rock and roll underworld which you are carried away to when you allow yourself to be fully emerged into the beauty and groove of this track. ‘If She Knew’ adopts and unleashes a lavish body to the aural ballroom, owning an elegant and silky ballgown and wrapping it around its body in an enticing and alluring manner, all dripping in a wealthy and luxurious cloak. ‘I Will Not Follow You Down’ is very much led by keys and percussion which accompany a strong and emotive vocal demonstration of effortless and faultless passion and pride throughout the track.
‘Under The Starlight’ is fairly stripped back, the vocals sit naked apart from a delicate and fragile accompaniment which allow the beauty and charm and it is totally laid bare for all to appreciate the delicate attraction which they demand. ‘Back’ sees more of a rock tinge to the body of its track, catchy and haunting in its composition, alluring and enticing. ‘Like Crystal’ is toe tapping inducing and conjures up thoughts of treading a lonely road through some abandoned western town while hay bales blow past in a dusky deluge of a raucous sandstorm.
‘Wobbles’ is moody and emotive with a strong piano arrangement backing it up while ‘You, Again’ is moody and emotional in its deliverance, the beauty is enveloped in a mystical darkened tinge and ‘The Drivin Man’ lifts the mood and allows the sway and swagger to come back to the fold with a strong pulsating beat lifting up the podium on which it stands. It is a track which demands attention and orders your senses to be directed towards the speakers on which it flows out of in order to absorb all of its elements and appreciate the intricate blends and frames which have been utilised throughout
Closing the album out is ‘Dallas’ and it is exquisite and sublime in all manner of angles. The vocals from Tench are gravelly and passionate, the accompanying aural delights are infectious and tender, beautiful and ravishing to your senses, absolutely mesmerising.
As a founding member of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Tench has certainly built up a pedigree over the years from working with some of the worlds leading lights in the music world and there is a definite Dylan vibe to this album (none more so than on the impressive ‘Dallas’), an undercurrent of soulful, charismatic and enchanting soundscapes. I can not put into words just how mesmerising this album is, it is overflowing with immersive emotion and marbled layers of richness and affluence. It is decorated with an abundance of splendour and sumptuousness while it keeps a solid titanium bone structure which blankets its audience in a shroud of smooth and enchanting audible architecture
This is more than an album, it is an event, its addictive and its a time to lose yourself and be accompanied by nothing more than a single flickering candlelight by which to enjoy its wares. This is a mature and seductive beast and one which you certainly need under your stylus as of yesterday.
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