Falling Down a Mountain

Falling Down a Mountain is the eighth studio album by English rock band Tindersticks, released in 2010 on 4AD/Constellation Records. The album peaked at number two in Greece, and achieved modest chart placings in other European countries.

Falling Down a Mountain
Studio album by Tindersticks
Released	25 January 2010 (UK & Europe) 16 February 2010 (US)
Recorded	Le Chien Chanceaux, France and ICP Studios, Brussels May–July 2009
Genre	Chamber pop
Length	44:37
Label	4AD (UK & Europe) Constellation Records (US)
Producer	Stuart A. Staples
Tindersticks chronology
The Hungry Saw (2008) Falling Down a Mountain (2010) Claire Denis Film Scores 1996–2009 (2011)

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Drowned in Sound	7/10[2]
Mojo	[3]
NME	[4]
Pitchfork	7.0/10[5]
PopMatters	[6]
Q	[7]
Spin	[8]
Uncut	[9]

The album was released to generally positive reviews. Drowned in Sound felt that Tindersticks have "created a record that certainly rivals, if not betters any of its three predecessors from the past decade".^[2] Pitchfork summed up the record by saying "it leaves a very hazy, almost spectral impression when it ends. But it's also warm and in some ways comforting, and it improves the more you listen to it and tease out the details in the songs."^[5] BBC Music described the album as "the sound of a band rediscovering themselves"^[10] and Uncut had a similar view, saying Tindersticks sounded like "a band with restored self-belief, again loving doing what they do better than anyone else".^[9] AllMusic said "Falling Down a Mountain isn't exactly a major reinvention, but it does back up the golden-hued sky gracing its cover with some of their most upbeat and optimistic songs to date".^[1] NME was more measured, describing the album as "a dislocated creature" but "the moments of oddness whetted our palette for more."^[4] PopMatters was equally unimpressed, calling it "the sound of Tindersticks going through the motions".^[6]

In 2011 it was awarded a silver certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 20,000 copies throughout Europe.^[11]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Stuart Staples except where indicated.

1. "Falling Down a Mountain" – 6:33
2. "Keep You Beautiful" – 3:23
3. "Harmony Around My Table" – 5:06
4. "Peanuts" (with Mary Margaret O'Hara) – 4:37
5. "She Rode Me Down" – 3:18
6. "Hubbards Hills" (Dan McKinna) – 3:04
7. "Black Smoke" – 3:43
8. "No Place So Alone" – 3:12
9. "Factory Girls" – 5:55
10. "Piano Music" – 5:46

Personnel

• Stuart Staples – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
• David Boulter – keyboards, percussion
• Neil Fraser – guitar
• Dan McKinna – bass, vocals
• Terry Edwards – trumpet
• Earl Harvin – drums
• David Kitt – guitar, vocals

Charts

Chart (2010)	Peak position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12]	21
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[13]	56
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[14]	40
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[15]	55
French Albums (SNEP)[16]	52
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[17]	87
Greek Albums (IFPI Greece)[18]	2
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[19]	77
UK Albums (OCC)[20]	90

References

1. Hoffman, K. Ross. "Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
2. Gourlay, Dom (25 January 2010). "Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
3. "Tindersticks: Falling Down a Mountain". Mojo. February 2010. p. 103.
4. Turner, Luke (22 January 2010). "Album review: Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain". NME. Archived from the original on 14 March 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
5. Tangari, Joe (15 February 2010). "Tindersticks: Falling Down a Mountain". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
6. Schonfeld, Zach (15 February 2010). "Tindersticks: Falling Down a Mountain". PopMatters. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
7. "Tindersticks: Falling Down a Mountain". Q. February 2010. p. 112.
8. Young, Jon (March 2010). "Tindersticks: Falling Down a Mountain". Spin. pp. 90 & 92. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
9. Roberts, Chris (February 2010). "Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain". Uncut. Retrieved 18 February 2012.^{[permanent dead link]}
10. Mueller, Andrew (15 January 2010). "Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain – Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
11. "Color". www.impalamusic.org. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
12. "Ultratop.be – Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
13. "Ultratop.be – Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain" (in French). Hung Medien.
14. "Danishcharts.dk – Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain". Hung Medien.
15. "Dutchcharts.nl – Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
16. "Lescharts.com – Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain". Hung Medien.
17. "Offiziellecharts.de – Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
18. "Album Top 50: Week 06/2010". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 27 February 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
19. "Swisscharts.com – Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain". Hung Medien.
20. "Tindersticks | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.