Pale Fire Husbands

‘Husbands’ is named after the 1970 John Cassavetes film. The album takes the big music out of its pagan places and into the suburbs, evoking feelings of existential disquiet. It is carefully sequenced; cohesive and immersive; twelve tracks that build in form and content to evoke the widescreen indie LPs of the late nineties.

Produced by Jamie Savage and recorded at The Delgado’s legendary Chem 19 studios, 'Husbands' is a richly melodic fever dream lit up by a subversive intelligence working within its lyrics. The album’s twelve songs are Trojan horses smuggling in feelings of disaffection and disappointment.

‘Nightlights’ and ‘Seven Years’ suspect that the weight of responsibility may be too much to bear, however 'Clucky’, ‘A Disaffection’ and ‘Various Witches’ refuse to give in to despair. ‘Husbands’ is an album that recognises that the blues of the verses must give way to the gospel of the choruses. An old trick, granted, but when the melodies are this good it would be churlish to complain. Fans of imperial phase REM and Elbow at their most anthemic will find much to love. Those interested in the Scottish literary scene will be intrigued to know that Booker Prize winning author James Kelman kindly gave the band his blessing to incorporate lines from his...  more