The The – Ensoulment (New Vinyl)

NEW DOUBLE LP

New sealed copy. Gatefold sleeve with a 32 page 10" x 10" full colour booklet with photos and lyrics.

Ensoulment, The The’s first studio album of new songs in a quarter-century, was released on Cinéola / earMUSIC on Friday, September 6, 2024. Spanning a range of topics from love and sex to war and politics, life and death, and the essence of humanity in the 21st century, Ensoulment was crafted in London at Studio Cinéola, the creative hub of lead singer, Matt Johnson.

The songs underwent further refinement during rehearsals before a six-day session at Real World Studios near Bath, where Matt reunited with long-time members James Eller (bass), DC Collard (keyboards), Earl Harvin (drums), and Barrie Cadogan (lead guitar).

Co-producer and engineer Warne Livesey, who previously collaborated on The The’s iconic albums Infected (1986) and Mind Bomb (1989), also contributed to Ensoulment. Additional performances include Gillian Glover (backing vocals), Terry Edwards (horns), Sonya Cullingford (fiddle), and Danny Cummings (percussion).

Over the years, The The’s releases have developed a distinctive aesthetic style, largely influenced by the artwork of Matt Johnson’s late brother, Andrew (also known as artist Andy Dog). Ensoulment proudly features some of Andrew’s previously unpublished works on the album cover, in the meticulously designed 32-page booklet for vinyl and CD formats, and on the covers of all singles.

“Cognitive Dissident,” the first single from the album, was written by Matt Johnson and Barrie Cadogan, produced by Matt Johnson and Warne Livesey, and released digitally on May 17, 2024.

TRACKLIST:

A1        Cognitive Dissident
A2        Some Days I Drink My Coffee By The Grave Of William Blake
A3        Zen & The Art Of Dating
B4        Kissing The Ring Of POTUS
B5        Life After Life
B6        I Want To Wake Up With You
C7        Down By The Frozen River
C8        Risin' Above The Need
C9        Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot
D10        Where Do We Go When We Die?
D11        I Hope You Remember (The Things I Can't Forget)
D12        A Rainy Day In May