“Sleaford Mods actually stretch a bit for the first four of the five songs on ”T.C.R.” … the surprisingly upbeat synth figure … on … ‘TCR’ … Throughout the EP, in fact, Fearn wears his new wave and post-punk influences on his sleeve, echoing the likes of Devo, the Fall, and others while managing to sound startlingly contemporary. … [Williamson’s] still adept at balancing bite with humor and genuine observation. … Williamson allows naked self-doubt to creep into the picture right off the bat, dedicating the very first verse to the twin pressures of parenthood and aging. His depiction of a father who feels harried at home and wants to go out, only to feel out of place once he gets there, verges on touching. ‘The wails of ya offspring behind ya cracking window,’ he says, his spoken word delivery significantly slowed down … (The title ‘T.C.R.’ is a reference to Total Control Racing, a failed brand of 1970s toy-car track sets, a reference Williamson makes as a metaphor for spinning one’s wheels.) … ”T.C.R.”{{‘s}} lack of discernible commentary on the street-level impact of the Brexit vote is puzzling … Nevertheless, Williamson’s shift towards looking at his own life … [is] a welcome change even when Williamson resorts to the well-trodden path of bitching about touring life on ‘Dad’s Corner.’ … the gurgling dark funk of ‘Dad’s Corner,’ the speedy dub groove of ‘Britain Thirst,’ …”<ref name=pitch_rev />
“Sleaford Mods actually stretch a bit for the first four of the five songs on ”T.C.R.” … the surprisingly upbeat synth figure … on … ‘TCR’ … Throughout the EP, in fact, Fearn wears his new wave and post-punk influences on his sleeve, echoing the likes of Devo, the Fall, and others while managing to sound startlingly contemporary. … [Williamson’s] still adept at balancing bite with humor and genuine observation. … Williamson allows naked self-doubt to creep into the picture right off the bat, dedicating the very first verse to the twin pressures of parenthood and aging. His depiction of a father who feels harried at home and wants to go out, only to feel out of place once he gets there, verges on touching. ‘The wails of ya offspring behind ya cracking window,’ he says, his spoken word delivery significantly slowed down … (The title ‘T.C.R.’ is a reference to Total Control Racing, a failed brand of 1970s toy-car track sets, a reference Williamson makes as a metaphor for spinning one’s wheels.) … ”T.C.R.”{{‘s}} lack of discernible commentary on the street-level impact of the Brexit vote is puzzling … Nevertheless, Williamson’s shift towards looking at his own life … [is] a welcome change even when Williamson resorts to the well-trodden path of bitching about touring life on ‘Dad’s Corner.’ … the gurgling dark funk of ‘Dad’s Corner,’ the speedy dub groove of ‘Britain Thirst,’ …”<ref name=pitch_rev />
{{bq|… post-Brexit, unelected Prime Minister, rabid discord in the Labour Party, … I Can Tell might well be the soundtrack to 2016 … Bus stops getting done over by c-bombs on roads that 1%ers know; Williamson doesn’t mess about, and … Fearn’s menacing minimal sounds remain as compelling as ever. …<ref name=skinny_rev />
… post-Brexit, unelected Prime Minister, rabid discord in the Labour Party, … I Can Tell might well be the soundtrack to 2016 … Bus stops getting done over by c-bombs on roads that 1%ers know; Williamson doesn’t mess about, and … Fearn’s menacing minimal sounds remain as compelling as ever. …<ref name=skinny_rev />
== Singles, promotion, and release ==
== Singles, promotion, and release ==
2016 EP by Sleaford Mods
T.C.R. (Total Control Racing) is the second extended play by the English duo Sleaford Mods, released on 14 October 2016 and produced by Andrew Fearn. The EP is the band’s first record on Rough Trade Records.
Recording and composition
T.C.R. was recorded in England between Nottingham and Bristol.[1]
“Sleaford Mods have been painting portraits of a broken Britain since their inception in 2007. Combining minimal electronica with inventive expletives and astute social commentary, … the emphasis has shifted away from the socio-politics of earlier records. The one exception is ‘Britain Thirst’, which as you might expect, sees Williamson’s venomous delivery turned towards the establishment. It’s familiar territory for the band … British politics seems intent … in … actively widening the class divide … While the aesthetic will be familiar two anyone who’s heard the band before, the production on it does feel both glossier, and somewhat darker; both ‘Britain Thirst’ and ‘You’re a Nottshead’ feel musically more complex than previous offerings …”[2]
“Sleaford Mods actually stretch a bit for the first four of the five songs on T.C.R. … the surprisingly upbeat synth figure … on … ‘TCR’ … Throughout the EP, in fact, Fearn wears his new wave and post-punk influences on his sleeve, echoing the likes of Devo, the Fall, and others while managing to sound startlingly contemporary. … [Williamson’s] still adept at balancing bite with humor and genuine observation. … Williamson allows naked self-doubt to creep into the picture right off the bat, dedicating the very first verse to the twin pressures of parenthood and aging. His depiction of a father who feels harried at home and wants to go out, only to feel out of place once he gets there, verges on touching. ‘The wails of ya offspring behind ya cracking window,’ he says, his spoken word delivery significantly slowed down … (The title ‘T.C.R.’ is a reference to Total Control Racing, a failed brand of 1970s toy-car track sets, a reference Williamson makes as a metaphor for spinning one’s wheels.) … T.C.R.‘s lack of discernible commentary on the street-level impact of the Brexit vote is puzzling … Nevertheless, Williamson’s shift towards looking at his own life … [is] a welcome change even when Williamson resorts to the well-trodden path of bitching about touring life on ‘Dad’s Corner.’ … the gurgling dark funk of ‘Dad’s Corner,’ the speedy dub groove of ‘Britain Thirst,’ …”[3]
“… post-Brexit, unelected Prime Minister, rabid discord in the Labour Party, … I Can Tell might well be the soundtrack to 2016 … Bus stops getting done over by c-bombs on roads that 1%ers know; Williamson doesn’t mess about, and … Fearn’s menacing minimal sounds remain as compelling as ever. …[4]
On 8 September 2016, Sleaford Mods released the song “T.C.R.” (“Total Control Racing”) with a music video and the announcement that the single was the title track to a new EP to be released on the 14th of October through Rough Trade Records,[5] their first record for the label.[2] A day before the release of T.C.R., the band previewed another track, “I Can Tell”.[6]
Critical reception
In a four star review for The Skinny, Pete Wild said that “Williamson doesn’t mess about, and … Fearn’s menacing minimal sounds remain as compelling as ever. Every track is a winner, bizarre and hilarious and provocative.”[4] Dave Beech of The Line of Best Fit gave the EP a rating of 7 out of 10 and called it “Far from being a bad release”; while they found the production “both glossier … and darker” than previous releases, they felt “it just does little to break the mould the band themselves set.”[2]
Rating the EP 6.7 out of 10, Pitchfork‘s Saby Reyes-Kulkarni thought that “T.C.R. doesn’t contain anything as infectiously catchy—or even irreverent—as ‘Jobseeker,’ ‘Mr. Jolly Fucker,’ or ’14 Day Court‘“, but was optimistic about the future of the group because they were “finally allowing their music to breathe somewhat”. Additionally, in contrast to the band’s earlier efforts, Reyes-Kulkarni thought that the heavier emphasis on personal subject matters “rescues [Williamson] from becoming the type of self-righteous caricature he might himself have railed on.”[3]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Jason Williamson; all music is composed by Andrew Fearn.[8]
| Title | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “T.C.R.” | 4:11 |
| 2. | “I Can Tell” | 3:41 |
| 3. | “Britain Thirst” | 3:20 |
| 4. | “Dad’s Corner” | 2:37 |
| 5. | “You’re a Nottshead” | 3:28 |
| Total length: | 17:17 | |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the CD liner notes[1] and Tidal.[8]
Sleaford Mods
Additional personnel
- Simon Parfrement – cover photography
- Steve Lippert – artwork
- Matt Colton – mastering at Alchemy, London
