Critiques CD: Tindersticks | Claire Denis Film Scores 1996-2009

The relationship between UK stalwarts Tindersticks and French cinéaste Claire Denis runs far, deep, long and wide. Assembled here in a gorgeous box set are the fruits of their audio-visual collaborations, six stunning soundtracks to her films that will not disappoint the hardcore fans or the uninitiated. Long praised for their proper baroque-pop torch songs, Tinderticks shine here as creators of tense and dense musical scores that delve easily into full orchestral arrangements or swing neatly to a minimal neo-noir small band format. The resulting music is lush, romantic and heavily dramatic, perfect foils to Denis’ masterful cinematic oeuvres.