In 1991, Spin magazine picked Teenage Fanclub's second record Bandwagonesque as Album of the Year -- over Nirvana's Nevermind. Oops. The mag is still trying to live that one down. Meanwhile, this Glasgow power-pop quartet is still trying to live up to the shining, briefly glimpsed promise of those early '90s glory days. Howdy!, their sixth studio effort, once again finds them falling short of the mark. Like their '97 release Songs From Northern Britain, Howdy! merges their long-standing obsession with the brilliantly bittersweet pop of Big Star with the jangly 12-string folk-rock of The Byrds and Neil Young. In other words, there's heaps of harmony and heartfelt emotion. Too bad there just aren't enough hooks to bind all the swelling organs and drifting melancholy into memorable tunes. In the end, there's too much pop and not enough power here. If they want to improve on Howdy!, Teenage Fanclub should try getting rowdy again.

Track Listing 1. I Need Direction
  2. I Can't Find My Way Home
  3. Accidental Life
  4. Near You
  5. Happiness
  6. Dumb Dumb Dumb
  7. Town & City
  8. Sun Shines From You
  9. Straight & Narrow
  10. Cul De Sac
  11. My Uptight Life
  12. If I Never See You Again