Here's the Tender Coming, the third album by English folk group the Unthanks, and the first under The Unthanks moniker, was released in the United Kingdom on 14 September 2009 and in North America on 23 March 2010. It was Folk Album of the Year for Mojo and received four-starred reviews from The Observer and The Guardian. In the sleeve notes for the album, Rachel Unthank said that although the Tender in the album's title track refers to the boat that is on its way to press men to sea, "the title of this song seemed to encapsulate for us the feeling of our new album, which is perhaps calmer and a little warmer in contrast to the stark bleakness of The Bairns".
Songs
The press-gang song "Here's the Tender Coming" has been recorded by many other well-known folk artists, including Frankie Armstrong and Dave Burland. "Lucky Gilchrist", the only original song on the album, was also released on 30 November 2009 as a single. Written by Adrian McNally, it tells the story of Gary Gilchrist, who Rachel Unthank knew when she was studying history at Glasgow University and who has since died. The song includes references to composer Steve Reich and Queen's lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, and its musical arrangement has been described as reminiscent of multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens.
Reception
Sid Smith of BBC Music described Here's the Tender Coming as an "astonishing record", "beautiful”, “haunting” and “beguiling". In a four-starred review for The Observer, Colin Irwin said: "This album may not be quite as bleak as The Bairns, and the sound is more sophisticated, but they still sound like nobody else... Tracks build slowly and mysteriously, but all are in service of the song. Their arrangement of the title track − a traditional song about the emotional devastation wrought by press gangs − brilliantly encapsulates the story's fraught desperation. Their version of Nobody Knew She Was There, one of Ewan MacColl's lesser-known songs about his mother, painstakingly paints a similarly dramatic backdrop with more atmospheric brass, and they put their own stamp on the Nic Jones classic, Annachie Gordon." Robin Denselow, in a four-starred review for The Guardian, called it "haunting, original and magnificent". Neil Spencer, for UNCUT, said: "It’s an often exquisite mixture of light and dark, instinct and artistry, that honours both the power of old songs and the stoicism of the lives that shaped them. Rarely has the deep past sounded so stirring, or so modern." The Italian website Ondarock said that by including songs such as "Where've Yer Bin Dick?", "Lucky Gilchrist", "Betsy Bell" and "Because He Was A Bonny Lad" on the album, the Unthanks had "add panache and verve, following the tradition of the music hall". Gavin Leech, for MusicVice.com, described the album as "a pleasant ride through misery" and praised its "sheer precision", claiming that tracks such as "Annachie Gordon" and "Living By The Water" are "the most polished folk you’re ever likely to hear". Luke Winkie, for DOA , said: "Here’s The Tender Coming is incredibly methodical – everything moves at a very deliberate, very planned pace... The album feels very crafted because of it, organized as a true listening experience rather than a collection of songs".
Adam Sinclair was the recording engineer for the album, which was recorded between April and June 2009 at Blast Studios, Newcastle upon Tyne. It was mixed at City Road Studios, Newcastle upon Tyne in June 2009 by the album's producer, Adrian McNally; Darren Hall was the engineer. It was mastered at Skye Mastering on the Isle of Skye by Denis Blackham and Adrian McNally. The album cover was designed by Helen Thomas and Steven Wainwright, using photographs by Alex Telfer.
