Prefab Sprout release their first album of new material for thirteen years in October 2013.
The album is to be titled ‘Crimson/Red’ and will be released on October 7th on Icebreaker Records. ‘Crimson/Red’ has been written and recorded over the past eighteen months and is being hailed as the best Prefab Sprout material since the band’s seminal ‘Jordan: The Comeback’ album way back in 1990. The track listing for the album runs as follows: The Best Jewel Thief In The World; The List Of Impossible Things; Adolescence; Grief Built The Taj Mahal; Devil Came A Calling; Billy; The Dreamer; The Songs Of Danny Galway; The Old Magician; Mysterious.
The last official release by Prefab Sprout, ‘Let’s Change The World With Music’, appeared in 2009 – although the fact that that record had largely been conceived and written some years earlier makes the release of ‘Crimson/Red’ all the more poignant. Prior to that of course, Prefab Sprout – who, for much of their existence, comprised Paddy McAloon, Martin McAloon, Wendy Smith and Neil Conti - sprung to fame with the release of ‘Swoon’ (1984), followed by ‘Steve McQueen’ (1985), ‘From Langley Park To Memphis’ (1988) and ‘Jordan: The Comeback’ (1990), albums which cast Paddy McAloon as “a Cole Porter or Stephen Sondheim for the Morrissey years.”
The band achieved Top 40 success with eight of their albums and their hits include ‘When Love Breaks Down’, ‘Cars And Girls’ and 'The King Of Rock ’n’ Roll.’
‘Crimson/Red’ was conceived and written by McAloon himself who plays all the instruments on the record. Subjects tackled on the album include Bob Dylan (‘Mysterious’), a fondly recalled meeting between Paddy and Jimmy Webb in 1991 (‘The Songs Of Danny Galway’), the arrogance of writing for a living (‘The Best Jewel Thief In The World’), and possibly even Paddy himself (‘The Old Magician’).
