Tindersticks

If their debut didn't blow you away, this follow-up almost assuredly did. It's a daunting, haunting release on which incredibly lush passages segue into pathos and kitchen sink drama. Stuart Staples' voice is deep and unsettling on dark, obsessed narratives such as "My Sister" and "Tiny Tears," but the music is as florid and polished as any Technicolor symphony.