For a songwriter professing to “fucking hate football metaphors”, Chris T-T certainly employs his fair share of red card and goal post references (Stop Listening, Words Fail Me), going some way to burying the momentarily charming, witty lyricisms contained within the likes of Blueness and Open & Shut beneath a slurry of self-desecrating insincerity. Yet more criticism can be levelled at Chris T-T through his entire lack of inspiration and the mundanity he represents; yes, heroes ought pertain to an air of humanisation, but cult figureheads really should be inspiring, in place of aspiring to “buy a Nintendo” as a second-rate Spiritualized brass section pipes up lethargically on Nintendo. Love Is Not Rescue unfortunately coherently expresses little more than the unapologetically bitter laments of a lonesome songsmith riled by the industry in which he paves his way, going about his business by bombasting contemporaries (Elephant In The Room) in place of constructing something of a laudable reputation for his own artistic output. Disdainfully, Chris T-T’s latest LP is merely a bleary wallow through drab metaphors, a record with bags under its eyes from too many nights in obstinately watching Channel 4 Music accompanied by a crate of Carling wondering which cog once slipped out of place resulting in T-T’s alarm bells being silenced. Which is a catastrophic shame, as amongst his resentment lies an undeniable ear for delicate harmonies and occasionally enthralling melody...
