Endless Arcade follows Teenage Fanclub's 2016 album Here, a record that garnered universal acclaim, a mark of how much the group is treasured. The new album is quintessential TFC: melodies are equal parts heartwarming and heart-aching, guitars chime and distort, keyboard lines mesh and spiral, harmony-coated choruses burst out like sun on a stormy day. In the 1990s, the band crafted a magnetically heavy yet harmony-rich sound on classic albums such as Bandwagonesque and Grand Prix. This century, albums such as Shadows and Here have documented a more relaxed, less "teenage" Fanclub, reflecting the band's stage in life and state of mind, alongside which Endless Arcade slots perfectly. The album walks a beautifully poised line between melancholic and uplifting, infused with simple truths. The importance of home, community and hope is entwined with more bittersweet, sometimes darker thoughts of insecurity, anxiety, and loss.
