More vinyl

It might be Pulp's first new album since We Love Life in 2001, but Jarvis Cocker has kept busy in that time, not least with his impeccable Jarv Is... project. Keeping himself match fit musically has evidently played into Pulp's hands because they sound inspired, at the top of their game and bound to consolidate their reputation one of the UK's most loved bands. Recorded with producer James Ford at Studio Orbb in North East London, they laid down eleven tracks in three weeks for this album and the lead single, 'Spike Island', is an enrapturing synth-led indie pop cut that whets the palate nicely for the other ten. The album is also their first since the passing of bassist Steve Mackay, who died in 2023. It is dedicated to his memory.