Arab Strap release a new single, ‘Compersion Pt. 1‘, on Rock Action Records.
The new track – following up ‘The Turning of Our Bones‘ – acts as another trailer for the duo’s forthcoming comeback album ‘As Days Get Dark’.
The first album in 16 years from Malcolm Middleton and Aidan Moffat will be released on March 5th 2021, with the duo also announcing a full UK & Irish tour for next September.
“It’s about hopelessness and darkness,” says Moffat of the band’s seventh studio album – their first since 2005’s ‘The Last Romance.’
“But in a fun way,” he adds.
Moffat insists that the aim of the new record is not to “recapture the 90s,” but instead to create a distinctly new album, with new tools, sounds and a forward moving sense of exploration. However, the 11 tracks were produced by Paul Savage, who worked with the band as early as their 1996 debut ‘The Week Never Starts Round Here’.
“Paul brings comfort and trust,” says Middleton, “And a sense of continuity.” “I’ve never been interested in making slick records,” agrees Moffat. “But the new stuff sounds much fuller, brighter and better because we actually know what we’re doing. I think for a long time we didn’t know how to express what we wanted in a studio.”
“This album feels like its own new thing to me,” the frontman continues. “It’s definitely Arab Strap, but an older and wiser one, and quite probably a better one.”
“We’ve had enough distance from our earlier work to reappraise and dissect the good and bad elements of what we did,” says Middleton. “Not many bands get to do this, so it’s great to split up.”
“We’re still doing what we always do,” Moffat jokes. “Malcolm gives me some guitar parts then I’ll f*ck about with them and put some drum machines and words over the top”.
As Middleton concludes: “There’s no point getting back together to release mediocrity.”
‘As Days Get Dark’ is now available to pre-order.
Tracklisting:
1. The Turning of Our Bones
2. Another Clockwork Day
3. Compersion Pt. 1
4. Bluebird
5. Kebabylon
6. Tears On Tour
7. Here Comes Comus!
8. Fable of the Urban Fox
9. I Was Once a Weak Man
10. Sleeper
11. Just Enough
Above is the ‘Censored Edit’ of the single’s lyric video – or you can view the NSFW ‘saucy’ version.
Arab Strap 2021 UK tourdates:
4th Manchester Academy 2
5th Dublin Vicar St.
6th Birmingham The Mill
7th Bristol SWX
8th London Electric Ballroom
9th Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Boiler Shop
10th Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom
Tickets for the tour go on sale from November 27th at www.arabstrap.scot.
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