Album Review: The Ting Tings – Home
2 min read
It’s hard to forget the punchy beginnings of The Ting Tings. We Started Nothing back in 2008 was full of angular guitars, rhythmic vocals, and unapologetic hooks that helped define an era of indie-pop. Since then, both Katie White and Jules De Martino didn’t stand still – embracing glossy synths (Sounds from Nowheresville) or moody electro-pop (The Black Light), they’ve always innovated with DIY ethics and continuing reinvention. Their fifth album, Home, via their own label Wonderful Records, sees the pair taking a more organic turn. This new record, born of lockdown in Ibiza, channels 1970s soft-rock, and is purported to offer a softer, introspective side whilst maintaining the band’s famed sense of rhythm and personality. Let’s have a look see if that’s the case, shall we….
Immediately you’re hit with the change in style from previous albums, with Good People Do Bad Things feeling like its straight out of the Daisy Jones & the Six soundtrack Aurora – a modern take on 1970’s soft-rock – and this flows into Dreaming, both tracks being fantastic tracks which would not feel out of place amongst the Fleetwood Mac’s of this world. This clear Fleetwood Mac influence flows into title track Home, whilst Goodbye Song has more than a hint of 1970’s rock soft-gods ELO about it.
If you had to place Winning in any album in history, the one that immediately comes to mind for me is Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk (which is high praise indeed), whilst there is a fantastic Jules vocal led In My Hand which has a bit of the Crosby, Stills & Nash’s about it, whilst remaining undoubtedly unique. Danced On The Wire is a great track – which manages to combine beach boys and Carpenters harmonies with a 1970’s country feel with Dire Straits guitars – fantastic. Song For Meadow, for me, is the only ‘meh’ track on the album… it’s still well constructed, but is missing the pizazz of the others. Penultimate track Mind Thunder gives me major Jimmy Buffet vibes, whilst we finish off with Down in what is clearly influenced by Cass Elliot, in another top notch track.
I cannot single out one or two tracks on Home, but I can say this is a five-star album – managing to be both a unique album and a great homage to the halcyon era of soft-rock. Each track manages to be distinctly from The Ting Tings, but at the same time each track feels like a homage to a 1970’s great. It’s obviously another album which is staying in my library, which is now up to three for the year (far too many!!). Forty-five minutes well spent!
