Karisma Records have good news today for fans of PLENTY who have waited three decades for a new release from the band that was formed in 1986 from the remnants of the eccentric Liverpool-based Post-Punk ensemble A BETTER MOUSETRAP and the Art Rockers from Warrington, AFTER THE STRANGER, and is the immediate predecessor to Tim Bowness’ NO-MAN band. Because today they bring you two tracks from the upcoming album “It Could Be home” . One is a single release for the track “Hide” and the other is a lyric video for the track “Every Stranger’s Voice”.
Of “Every Stranger’s Voice” Bowness has this to say:
“Every Stranger’s Voice” was one of the last songs written by Plenty during its first incarnation and dates from 1990. It’s one of the grand ‘doomed romantic ballads’ that partly defined Plenty and early No-Man. I always felt it was one of the strongest songs we’d come up with, but it had the misfortune of emerging in the month that No-Man got its first record and publishing deals so was abandoned very shortly after being written. Michael Bearpark’s searing solo on the track is a real highlight for me. Bob Hodds’ atmospheric video ambiguously captures the emotional ‘force of nature’ that drives the lyric”.
The video by Bob Hodds for “Every Stranger’s Voice” can be seen below and at https://youtu.be/eVgNNSIKwEQ
A
With regard to the single “Hide”, Bowness went on to say:
“”Hide” is one of the few Plenty pieces that betrays the band’s origins as part of the thriving Liverpool Post-Punk/Art Pop scene of the 1980s. It was written in 1987 and was an important part of the live performances we did at the time. All two of them! I always liked the fact that the song itself hid a dark lyric about mental illness and the desire for retreat behind a jaunty and propulsive musical facade. As I croon about someone’s tragic decline and stasis, Brian and David’s playing exudes something joyous and surprising. The lyric was inspired by a friend who also provided part of the inspiration behind No-Man’s Animal Ghost”.
“Hide” is available from all the usual streaming and download services details of which can be found at http://phonofile.link/hide
“It Could Be Home”, which features PLENTY’s most enduring lineup of Tim Bowness on vocals, Brian Hulse on guitars and keyboards, and David K Jones on bass, was recorded between the spring of 2016 and the summer of 2017, when the band got together once more to re-record their 1980 catalogue of 16 songs, along with one completely new one
“It Could Be Home” Remains faithful to both the spirit of the original recordings, and the era in which they were written, with PLENTY re-writing some of the lyrics and streamlined some of the song arrangements in order to finally produce “It Could Be Home”. It is an album that showcases the origins of the styles that were subsequently to become the trademarks of Bowness and NO-MAN. Significantly, it also reveals a variety of shades to Bowness’ singing, as Jones’s powerful bass playing and Hulse’s inventive guitar parts and pulsating electronics, push his vocals into territories he has rarely explored since the 1980s.
It is an album that could, essentially, be described as a re-discovered gem of the Art Pop genre in which PLENTY’s cover of THE ROLLING STONES’ “As Tears Go By” is given a radical synth-heavy overhaul, “Hide” and “Climb” possess a driving Post-Punk energy, while pieces like “Foolish Waking” and “Strange Gods” anticipate the timeless atmospheric melancholy of Bowness’ music and the direction which it is taking. “The Good Man”, the band’s first new song in 27 years, provides a seamless link between PLENTY’s past and its present.
Set for release on Karisma Records in CD, Digital, LP and Limited Edition Blue Vinyl formats on the 27th April, “It Could Be Home” is mixed and instrumentally augmented by Norwegian producer Jacob Holm-Lupo (WHITE WILLOW, THE OPIUM CARTEL), and mastered by THE PINEAPPLE THIEF’S Steve Kitch. The album also features contributions from former PLENTY guitarist Michael Bearpark, pianist Peter Chilvers (BRIAN ENO, KARL HYDE) and NO-MAN violinist Steve Bingham.
With artwork by Carl Glover, tracklisting on “It Could Be Home” is as follows:
- As Tears Go By (Rolling Stones cover)
- Hide
- Never Needing
- Broken Nights
- Foolish Waking
- Strange Gods
- Every Stranger’s Voice
- Climb
- The Good Man
- It could be Home
“It Could Be Home” is now available to pre-order in CD and Vinyl versions from the following:
Blue vinyl: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/it-could-be-home/
Black vinyl: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/it-could-be-home-2/
Digipak CD: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop/it-could-be-home-3/
All formats including digital: https://weareplenty.bandcamp.com
More information about PLENTY can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Plenty-music-534648273575174
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Plenty-music-534648273575174
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Karisma Records: http://www.karismarecords.no/
Karisma Records Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
Karisma Records on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KarismarecordsNor
Karisma on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/karisma-records
Karisma Records Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/webshop/
Karisma Records US Webshop: http://karismarecords.aisamerch.com/
Karisma Records BandCamp: http://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/music
Karisma Records KlickTrack Store: http://shop.klicktrack.com/karismadarkessencerecords
PATRICIA THOMAS BAND MANAGEMENT 