TEENAGE FANCLUB

Although it improves slightly upon repeated listens, there's no denying that with Howdy, Teenage Fanclub has finally bled the well dry -- from its needlessly glib title and dishwater-dull jacket design on through to its enervated performances and by-the-numbers songcraft, the disc is a complete creative dead-end, and while even the most ardent fan must concede that the band has been making the same record over and over for some time now, the sheer redundancy of their efforts here nevertheless hits home with surprising gravity. Howdy is completely bereft of energy and passion; despite a handful of standouts like the opening "I Need Direction" and the radiant "The Sun Shines From You," the songs are consistently unmemorable, blurring together without distinction. Maybe, like the earlier Thirteen, it will improve with age, but don't hold your breath. Jason Ankeny.

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