Five years after their last album, and 18 months since their seemingly final gig, who would have thought we'd be gifted with a new Tindersticks album at all, let alone one that stands out as their best since their first two albums? Their lineup may be depleted, but make no mistake--from the first haunting notes of "Introduction" to the last soulful moments of "The Turns We Took"--"The Hungry Saw" is as good as it gets. The traditional Tindersticks sound--part smoky heartbreak, part sinister minor-key noir malevolence--is present and correct, and far more focussed, resulting in an early contender for the best album of 2008. Hardcore fans may lament the missing elements, particularly departed violin/second vocalist/arranger Dickon Hinchliffe, but the strength of the tracks, and the sheer thrill of hearing Stuart Staples' sleepy Cohen-esque croon tackle such gems as the title track, the gently mournful "All the Love", or the sinister "Mother Dear" prove that the band are as good as they ever were. The key moment is "Boobar, Come Back to Me"--as affecting and epic as anything they've done, and a good sign that Tindersticks still have a fruitful few albums in them yet. "--Thom Allott"