Tenement & Temple aka Smillie and Queen, highly sought after legends of the Scottish music scene, have released what is set to be possibly one of the most heart-meltingly beautiful albums of 2019.
Thrum
In one of their previous incarnations, Thrum, they delighted with songs like So Glad & Illegitimate Clown, and a magnificent cover of Crying (more about magnificent covers later) gigging regularly and generally being an abundantly talented pair, resulting in them being sought after for many collaborations over the years. Recently contributing in no small part to two of my favourite albums of the last few years – Daniel Wylie’s Cosmic Rough Riders Scenery for Dreamers and Reaction’s Keep it Weird Keep it Wired.
I once owned a t-shirt that bore the legend “Thrum Make You Come”, when it comes to Tenement & Temple, I think the reaction would be more crying inconsolably into my pint. From the off, the album is sublimely beautiful, achingly so, Queen’s distinct melancholic vocal paired with Smilliie’s virtuoso guitar playing creates music to die for.
Elegaic
Loving Arms opens proceedings, a minimalistic elegiac love song, with a message of searching for good and love, of lighting candles to light the darkness. It doesn’t just tug at the heart-strings, it positively wrenches them. And so, the theme is set for the album. Hauntingly beautiful songs, heavenly backing vocals (I Know and Your Sweet Face have a ring of classic black and white movie love story soundtracks about them), effortlessly played country melodies, heart-warming lyrics and the voice of an angel.
When you are faced with the mainstream media feeding you news on a daily basis that is filled with doom and gloom and visons of a bleak future, this album is just what you need to remind you that sometimes all you need is love. Even if it does have me on the verge of tears throughout, however, that is more to do with the sheer beauty of the music rather than from any negative aspect.
Exquisite
Mind you, just as I am beginning to compose myself, the wildly emotive Where the Wild Roses Grow kicks in and the eloquence of the vocal and exquisiteness of the music grabs me once again.
Back in the day, I had a cassette copy of The Cowboy Junkies Trinity Sessions. I literally wore the tape out, eventually rebuying it on CD. One of the reasons for this was the constant rewinding to listen to Blue Moon Revisited again and again. Tenement & Temple cover Blue Moon as the last song on this album and it takes me right back, the steel guitar, gently brushed drums, lamenting lead and heavenly backing vocals seize me all over again and I can already feel myself reaching for repeat.
An instant classic, this album is perfect in every way. Sublime.