JAMES, the long-running Manchester band led by Boston Spa singer Tim Booth, will release their 15th studio album, Living In Extraordinary Times, on August 3, ahead of their Scarborough Open Air Theatre show on August 18.
Produced by rising star Beni Giles and Mercury and Brit Award winner Charlie Andrew, whose clientele includes alt-J and Wolf Alice, this is the 12-track follow-up to 2016's Girl At The End Of The World, which debuted at number two in the charts, their highest entry in nearly 20 years.
Living In Extraordinary Times delivers the same vigour and urgency as its multiple predecessors, a fusion of social commentary and personal reflection, covering everything from the political climate in America in the frustration-charged Hank, to a lonesome Father’s Day in the heartfelt Coming Home (Part 2), which features keyboards from long-time collaborator Brian Eno.
Booth says: "We knew something was up when Leicester City won the league, then Brexit, then Trump. It’s as if we'd slipped into an alternate reality, a Philip K Dick reality. We are living in extraordinary times."
The album began life during jam sessions at Sheffield’s Yellow Arch Studios and was finished at Iguana Studios in Brixton. Beni Giles was working with the band already on creating a new rhythmical approach when Charlie Andrew joined the project after being blown away by the band's live shows.
Magnus Gjoen's artwork for James's new album
“This album is full of big tunes," says Andrew. "Tim and the guys are all very good at writing huge hooks. There’s some really big, energetic tracks and some nice, chilled ones; and there are some monstrous tracks, like Hank, which is just vast with layers and layers of drums."
The striking album artwork was created by contemporary artist and former Vivienne Westwood designer Magnus Gjoen, who drew inspiration from street and pop art aesthetics, juxtaposing them with fine art.
His work challenges preconceived notions of objects, exploring the stark contrast between power and fragility where something that is potentially extremely destructive can be made into beautiful yet fragile objects of art, tying in with the album's themes of exploring the gaps between politics and tranquillity.
Living In Extraordinary Times will be available on CD, download, cassette and heavyweight double vinyl, plus a hardback-booked deluxe CD edition featuring four extra tracks: three demos. Moving Car, Overdose and Trouble, plus one track from the album sessions, Backward Glances.
The track listing will be Hank; Coming Home (Part 2); Leviathan; Heads; Many Faces; How Hard The Day; Extraordinary Times; Picture Of This Place; Hope To Sleep; the single Better Than That; Mask and What's It All About.
Tickets for James's Scarborough return are on sale on 01723 818111 or 01723 383636 or at scarboroughopenairtheatre.com/events.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here