Name: Complete Surrender by Slow Club
Brand: Slow Club
SKU: 602537763887
Price: 9.9 USD
Availability: OnlineOnly
Rating: 3.5 (77 reviews)

ALBUM

The third album by Sheffield twosome Slow Club continues the British duo's expansion from agents of winsome folk-pop to evolved romantics with a set of torchy songs and break-up ballads that exude the moody spark of classic Northern Soul. It's a long way from the sweet acoustic tales of young love and bouncy, Spector-ish pop of their 2009 debut Yeah, So? It's a sound they flirted with on 2011's more confident follow-up Paradise, but it's delivered here on Complete Surrender with more subtlety and aplomb thanks to producer and Richard Hawley co-conspirator Colin Elliot. The band is comprised of singers and multi-instrumentalists Rebecca Taylor and Charles Watson who, in the past, have let their songs wander freely with either a minimalist acoustic guitar/vocal arrangement or an all-in electric, garage rock whomp. With Elliot's help, Complete Surrender becomes the fine-tuned successor that dials in on their strengths, which in this care are Taylor's strong voice and the duo's improved songcraft. Standouts of Slow Club's new sound, like the bluesy ballads "The Queen's Nose" and "Not Mine to Love," balance a sleek, cool maturity with subtle doses of their endearing, raw charm. The Northern Soul influence is most apparent on the witchy send-up "Suffering You, Suffering Me," whose yearning intro quickly picks up into a classic, horn-laden, '60s-inspired dance/soul number. Watson gets his licks in too, singing lead on the slow-building "Everything Is New," which boasts a wild crescendo of stacked vocals, strings, and filthy guitar tones. The flame dims a bit near the album's end, but plays out on a strong note with the more contemporary-sounding "Wanderer Wandering," a catchy ballad that pairs rich synths with dreamy trumpet to great effect. Complete Surrender shows that Taylor and Watson are willing to stretch out and continue their evolution as they deliver a strong third outing.
© Timothy Monger /TiVo

1. Tears Of Joy

by Slow Club

Composer: Charles Watson
Rebecca Taylor; Composer
Primary Artist: Slow Club; Main Performer
Lyricist: Rebecca Taylor
Charles Watson; Composer
Engineer: Colin Elliot; Production
Mixing: Colin Elliot; Production
Producer: Colin Elliot; Production
Studio Personnel: Colin Elliot; Production
Composer Lyricist: Charles Watson
Rebecca Taylor; Other

2. Everything Is New

by Slow Club

Primary Artist: Slow Club; Main Performer
Background Vocals: Avvon Chambers
Stephen Black; Performer
Lyricist: Rebecca Taylor
Charles Watson; Composer
Mixing: Colin Elliot; Production
Bass Guitar: Avvon Chambers; Performer
Composer: Charles Watson
Rebecca Taylor; Composer
Bass Guitar: Avvon Chambers; Performer
Cello: Liz Hanks; Performer
Guitar: Stephen Black
Charles Watson; Performer
Organ: Colin Elliot; Performer
Performer: Avvon Chambers
Charles Watson
Liz Hanks
Rebecca Taylor
Tom Beer
Susannah Simmons
Stephen Black
Liz Rossi
Colin Elliot; Performer
Viola: Tom Beer; Performer
Violin: Susannah Simmons
Liz Rossi; Performer
Vocals: Rebecca Taylor
Charles Watson; Performer
Strings Arrangement: Colin Elliot; Composer
Engineer: Colin Elliot; Production
Mastering Engineer: Duncan Cowell; Production
Producer: Colin Elliot; Production
Studio Personnel: Duncan Cowell
Colin Elliot; Production
Composer Lyricist: Charles Watson
Rebecca Taylor; Other