The Awful Truth/Limited Red Vinyl

Description

The Nightingales are back with The Awful Truth, a mutant and modern interpretation of music hall, transcribing current events with the urgency of a slightly disheveled late-night presenter. After the film King Rocker narrated by Stewart Lee in 2020, the curtain has risen on these "longtime volunteers of punk/alternative rock" (The Quietus). More relevant than ever, they deliver a powerful tirade on our times. The opening track, The New Emperor's New Clothes, is an immersive explosion where a percussive piano sets the rhythm, somewhere between The Velvet Underground and Fairport Convention. Same Old Riff evokes Bowie's Queen Bitch, reviving class struggles and social tension of the summer of 2024. Robert Lloyd's acerbic lines capture the collapse of modern society, his singing oscillating between a bistro crooner and rage akin to Nick Cave or The Fall. As early as the 80s, John Peel saw them as a safe bet: "Their excellence will become apparent in hindsight, while others, far more famous, will be exposed as charlatans." Their time has come. The Nightingales are Robert Lloyd, Andreas Schmid (Faust) on bass, Fliss Kitson (Violet Violet) on drums, and James Smith (Damo Suzuki) on guitar.