Endless Arcade

The sound of a band pushing forwards, ‘Endless Arcade’ points to a bright future for a much-loved institution.

Endless Arcade dwells on the end of love, as hymned on multiple TFC albums; on stoicism in the face of this emotional catastrophe, or – on Raymond McGinley’s songs – our tiny place in the cosmos and the importance of eking joy out of everything.

They are pop journeymen who can bid a fond farewell to one member as they look forward to where the music and the Endless Arcade will take them next.

Endless Arcade is a record that showcases both Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley as two of the most gifted (not to mention consistent) songwriters of their generation. Which means Endless Arcade feels like a diary of sorts. Rich in emotional integrity while reminiscing about the past, Teenage Fanclub exude honesty through every pore.

Teenage Fanclub sound refreshed, renewed and remarkably like themselves as Endless Arcade reveals an old group with some new tricks sounding in rude health.

A searching, typically heart-warming record about middle-aged men somewhat adrift, yet ultimately anchored to people and place, Endless Arcade testifies to the Fannies' endurance. [Jun 2021, p.82]

Endless Arcade serves its purpose – providing longtime fans of the band with new material that both furthers their critical clout and gives the band more room to grow. Their newest album may not rank among their classic work, but when taken out of context, it’s a warm and revealing work, something that most other bands would consider their best.

Endless Arcade represents the biggest demand on their followers the band have made for some time, with pensive contemplation underpinning an eclectic, experimental set of songs. But they have long earned the right to venture off in whichever direction takes their fancy. They are still growing, still evolving and still learning. Endless Arcade is a brave record by a brave band. There are few of Teenage Fanclub’s ilk.

It's excellent, with enchanting melodies, emotional depth and a few unexpected evolutions. [May 2021, p.26]

While Endless Arcade may not quite match the standard of consistency Teenage Fanclub is known for, it’s an excellent reminder of just how much songwriting talent has called this band home for the past three decades.

For all the enjoyably sunny fatalism, though, the absence of vocalist and bassist Gerard Love, who left the band in 2018, is noticeable. Love’s unmistakable falsetto and saccharine hooks added a dynamic to the Fannies that brought a welcome contrast to Blake and McGinley’s songs. Love left the band amicably, citing his desire to tour less, but his absence nonetheless feels at home amid Blake and McGinley’s songs about growing into middle-age.

Like all of Teenage Fanclub’s albums, Endless Arcade reveals itself slowly, and much of the action takes place below the surface.

Emotionally honest, across its twelve tracks the group detail feelings of longing, losing your sense of self and awaiting something more in a wholly atmospheric manner. Ripping up their rulebook? Hardly. Giving long-time fans something new to enjoy? You bet.

Endless Arcade will do nothing for the people who wish they would let it rip again one more time—but it’s fine, well-crafted, intricately plotted mid-tempo rock. The edges, if they were ever there to begin with, have been sanded off, and it’s all rather noddingly pleasant.

If Teenage Fanclub’s songs are stylistically derivative, the melodies consistently stand up to those of the band’s progenitors.