Here (Teenage Fanclub album)

Teenage Fanclub began recording Here in 2013 at Vega Studio in Provence in southeastern France. The studio was primarily chosen for its vintage EMI desk, which is said to have been used for recording two Rolling Stones albums.{{cite web |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/reference-points/teenage-fanclub-on-the-making-of-new-album-here |title=Teenage Fanclub on the making of new album Here |work=The Line of Best Fit |date=9 September 2016 |accessdate=12 May 2022 |last=Blake |first= Norman}} "We always like to go somewhere that's not Glasgow because I think your environment affects what you're doing while you're working," guitarist Norman Blake said in 2016. "If you go to an exotic location like the south of France, hopefully you feel a little more inspired."{{cite web |url=https://performermag.com/new-music-and-video/interviews-and-features/teenage-fanclub-norman-blake-interview/ |title=Teenage Fanclub returns with new album Here |work=Performer |date=30 November 2016 |accessdate=12 May 2022 |last=Davidson|first=Chris}} The band spent three weeks at the studio, completing most of the backing tracks during their stay. The band then went their separate ways for a few months, ruminating on what they had recorded so far. All vocals were then recorded at guitarist Raymond McGinley's home studio in Glasgow in two weeks spread over a couple of months, with the band's three songwriters taking turns putting down their lead and harmony vocals. "Because we write our lyrics while doing this," Blake said, "it's inevitable that we end up writing about similar things as you can't help but pick up on what the others are writing about."

The band worked on the album for three years intermittently between other projects, with Blake even recording some additional harmony vocals in a hotel room in Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada when he was performing solo at the Halifax Urban Folk Festival.{{cite web |url=https://www.thecarleton.ca/events/the-halifax-urban-folk-festival-presents-chuck-prophet-the-halifax-all-stars-neil-osborne-54-40-norman-blake-teenage-fanclub-ron-hawkins-lowest-of-the-low/ |title=The Halifax Urban Folk Festival Presents! Chuck Prophet & The Halifax All Stars + Neil Osborne (54-40), Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub) & Ron Hawkins (Lowest of the Low) |work=The Carleton |date=2015 |accessdate=12 May 2022 }} "I emailed those to Raymond and he dropped them into the song the same day," Blake said. Mixing of the album took three weeks in late 2015 at Clouds Hill Recordings in Hamburg, Germany. It was mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London, England. "Three years, four studios and four countries," as Blake put it.

{{Album ratings

| ADM = 7.5/10{{cite web |url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/8236/Teenage-Fanclub-Here.aspx |title=Here by Teenage Fanclub reviews |publisher=AnyDecentMusic? |accessdate=19 October 2019}}

| MC = 79/100{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/here/teenage-fanclub |title=Reviews for Here by Teenage Fanclub |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=1 December 2016}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/here-mw0002958052 |title=Here – Teenage Fanclub |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=30 April 2021 |last=Collar |first=Matt}}

| rev2 = Exclaim!

| rev2Score = 8/10{{cite web |url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/teenage_fanclub-here |title=Teenage Fanclub: Here |work=Exclaim! |date=8 September 2016 |accessdate=19 October 2019 |last=Mix |first=Dave}}

| rev3 = The Guardian

| rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/08/teenage-fanclub-here-review |title=Teenage Fanclub: Here review – heart-tugging reacquaintance |newspaper=The Guardian |date=8 September 2016 |accessdate=19 October 2019 |last=Jonze |first=Tim}}

| rev4 = The Independent

| rev4Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-reviews-wilco-wilco-schmilco-jack-white-acoustic-recordings-mia-aim-and-more-a7232056.html |title=Album reviews: Wilco – Wilco Schmilco, Jack White – Acoustic Recordings, MIA – AIM, and more |newspaper=The Independent |date=8 September 2016 |accessdate=19 October 2019 |last=Gill |first=Andy}}

| rev5 = Mojo

| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Always touched by their presence |journal=Mojo |issue=274 |date=September 2016 |last=Segal |first=Victoria |page=91}}

| rev6 = Pitchfork

| rev6Score = 7.8/10{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22287-here/ |title=Teenage Fanclub: Here |work=Pitchfork |date=6 September 2016 |accessdate=19 October 2019 |last=Sodomsky |first=Sam}}

| rev7 = Q

| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Teenage Fanclub: Here |journal=Q |issue=364 |date=October 2016 |last=Doyle |first=Tom |page=110}}

| rev8 = Record Collector

| rev8Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/here |title=Teenage Fanclub – Here |journal=Record Collector |issue=458 |date=October 2016 |accessdate=19 October 2019 |last=Goldsmith |first=Mike}}

| rev9 = The Skinny

| rev9Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/teenage-fanclub-here |title=Teenage Fanclub – Here |work=The Skinny |date=5 September 2016 |accessdate=19 October 2019 |last=Gordon |first=Andrew}}

| rev10 = Uncut

| rev10score = 8/10{{cite journal |title=Teenage Fanclub: Here |journal=Uncut |issue=233 |date=October 2016 |last=Mulvey |first=John |page=39}}

}}

Here received favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 79, which indicates "generally favourable reviews", based on 21 reviews.

The album made the twenty-strong longlist for the Scottish album of the Year Award 2017 but did not make it to the ten-strong shortlist.{{cite web |url=http://www.sayaward.com/ |title=Home |website=sayaward.com}}

{{Tracklist

| title1 = I'm in Love

| writer1 = Norman Blake

| length1 = 2:41

| title2 = Thin Air

| writer2 = Gerard Love

| length2 = 3:11

| title3 = Hold On

| writer3 = Raymond McGinley

| length3 = 3:24

| title4 = The Darkest Part of the Night

| writer4 = Blake

| length4 = 3:16

| title5 = I Have Nothing More to Say

| writer5 = Love

| length5 = 4:18

| title6 = I Was Beautiful When I Was Alive

| writer6 = McGinley

| length6 = 4:44

| title7 = The First Sight

| writer7 = Love

| length7 = 5:08

| title8 = Live in the Moment

| writer8 = Blake

| length8 = 3:03

| title9 = Steady State

| writer9 = McGinley

| length9 = 4:16

| title10 = It's a Sign

| writer10 = Love

| length10 = 3:36

| title11 = With You

| writer11 = McGinley

| length11 = 3:58

| title12 = Connected to Life

| writer12 = Blake

| length12 = 4:00

}}

Credits for Here are adapted from AllMusic{{cite web|title=Shadows - Teenage Fanclub : Credits|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/here-mw0002958052/credits|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=1 December 2016}} and the album's liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title=Here |type=CD liner notes|others=Teenage Fanclub|publisher=PeMa |year=2016}}

Teenage Fanclub

• Norman Blake
• Gerard Love
• Raymond McGinley
• Francis Macdonald
• David McGowan

Additional musicians

• John McCusker – viola, violin on "The Darkest Part of the Night"
• Elspeth Mackay – cello on "The Darkest Part of the Night"
• Robert Henderson – trumpet on "The First Sight"
• Nigel Baillie – trumpet on "Live in the Moment"
• Helen Thomson – harp on "Live in the Moment"

Technical

• Teenage Fanclub – producer
• David Henderson – engineer
• Raymond McGinley – engineer
• Bertrand Montandon – assistant engineer (Vega)
• Quentin Tillie – assistant engineer (Vega)
• Linda Gerdes – assistant engineer (Clouds Hills)
• Sebastian Muxfeldt – assistant engineer (Clouds Hills)
• Sean Magee – mastering
• Krista Blake – sleeve design

{{Reflist}}

{{Teenage Fanclub}}

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Category:Teenage Fanclub albums

Category:2016 albums

Category:Merge Records albums