Tindersticks: The Tindersticks' Second Album

THERE'S A WONDERFULLY hushed, still quality about Tindersticks that pulls you closer to the speakers. Casually overheard, much of this album sounds like little more than mumbles and groans, interspersed with sudden sweeping strings and the odd cabaret-style contribution from a trumpet, electric piano or xylophone. Like Portishead or Julee Cruise on her debut album, Tindersticks slow the world down to less than a snail's pace, letting tunes and scenarios unfold like raindrops trickling down a window pane.