Arab Strap are set to mark their 30th anniversary in singular style with the release of their ninth album, “Half-Told Tales”, out 4th September via Rock Action Records. Nearly three decades on from their first single, the Scottish duo remain as sharp, sardonic and sonically adventurous as ever.
Lead single “Glamour Magick” sees Aidan Moffat confronting the absurdities of our obsession with youth and the ever-pressing urge to turn back the clock, all set against a brooding backdrop built by collaborator Malcolm Middleton. The accompanying video pushes this theme right out of the shadows: a horror-inspired tale that sees Moffat enduring all manner of cosmetic surgery after a bout of online trolling, with things quickly taking a bloody, darkly comic turn.
While the lyrics pull no punches on the anxieties of ageing and the strange lengths we’ll go to in the pursuit of lost youth, “Half-Told Tales” offers a surprising injection of hope and even joy. Moffat and Middleton are at their observational best, balancing the personal and the political with signature wit and warmth.
Brighton fans can catch Arab Strap at Resident Records on Saturday 5th September for an intimate evening instore performance. Expect bold new cuts alongside biting commentary, and a welcome return to the South’s indie heartland.
Watch the official video for ‘Glamour Magick’ below:
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
Rough Trade, Bristol – 4 September
Pie & Vinyl, Southsea (daytime) – 5 September
Resident Records, Brighton (evening) – 5 September
Truck, Oxford (daytime) – 6 September
Banquet Records, Kingston (evening) – 6 September
Reflex, Newcastle – 7 September
Whelan’s, Dublin – 12 October
Band on the Wall, Manchester – 13 October
Heaven, London – 14 October
Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds – 15 October
Georgian Theatre, Stockton – 16 October
Barrowland, Glasgow – 17 October
MeetFactory, Prague – 22 November
a83, Budapest – 23 November
Vintage Industrial Bar, Zagreb – 24 November
Zappa Bazza, Belgrade – 25 November
Control Club, Bucharest – 26 November
Zorlu, Istanbul – 27 November
Eightball Club, Thessaloniki – 28 November
Gazarta Soundstage, Athens – 29 November
Parma Barezzi Festival, Parma – 13 December
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ARAB STRAP
Arab Strap return with new album “Half-Told Tales” this September. Their unflinching new single and horror-inspired video tackle the obsession with staying young. Catch their Brighton instore at Resident Records on 5th September, plus full UK and European autumn tour.
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