Teenage Fanclub - Do Not Dare to Dream - CASSETTES

Teenage Fanclub's Do Not Dare To Dream takes it's name from Norman Blake's InchI Do Not Dare To Dream,Inch an infectious anthemic song driven by ringing acoustic guitars, joined at the end by duelling electric guitars that wrap around each other like a reassuring hug. Blake says that the title is meant to mock those memes that urge people to Inchdare to dream,Inch which to him are Inchkind of ridiculous... I don't think the world works that way.InchTeenage Fanclub's 13th album is full of songs that are calmly resolute, taking stock of the fraught state of the world without succumbing to despair. Blake's warm, organ-washed midtempo ballad InchDay In The SunInch and Raymond McGinley's InchOver And OverInch both speak to how everyone can find a renewed sense of purpose by opening their hearts. InchWe can still be cheerful and optimistic in the face of things not being great,Inch McGinley says. InchMy parents' generation lived in Glasgow when there were bombs falling out of the sky. And here we are, however many years later. Things change.InchBlake and McGinley are joined on Do Not Dare To Dream by their bandmates Euros Childs (keyboards and vocals), Francis Macdonald (drums) and David McGowan (bass). This quintet has played together long enough now that neither of Teenage Fanclub's principal songwriters and guitarists feel the need to fuss over their songs or work up arrangements before they enter the studio. They'd rather wait for the rest of the group's input.The initial sessions took place over 14 days at Black Bay Studio, in the township of Kirkibost, on the Scottish Outer Hebrides island of Great Bernera. Teenage Fanclub likes to take advantage of what a studio has available to use, and at Black Bay the band found a Domus church organ (prominently heard on many songs, including InchOver And OverInch) and a lot of different synthesizers. Euros Childs on keys brings a