Courteeners - 'Solitude Of The Night Bus'
Explorative, expressive and original. Courteeners are once again exploring new avenues whilst staying true to their fanbase.
It’s been a while since we’ve had any new music from Liam Fray and co. The most recent release was the reissuing of debut album ‘St Jude’ which charted at no.1, supported with a large homecoming show with the album played in full. ‘Solitude Of The Night Bus’ has kind of appeared out of nowhere. But Courteeners are at the level where they don’t need to wet an audience's appetite. With every new Courteeners release, the first single is usually like putting on a pair of new shoes, it’s different and can need time to ease you in. But there’s a true art to that; to create music which sounds both unique, and familiar at the same time.
The song itself is a feel-good whistle driven anthem wrapped in a layer of pop with a big chorus with the hook of “until they leave me alone, leave me alone” not usually a line that you would associate with such a feel good track, but that’s art. When discussing the single, frontman and songwriter Liam Fray says “This came at a time of real questioning. Things weren’t going particularly well. No confidence. No direction. I think that’s why - whisper it - it’s on the fun side. This is the new us. I’d previously worked with Ola [Modupe-Ojo] on ‘Hanging Off Your Cloud’ and, like then, there was just a magic in the room that was irresistible. It’s a summer breeze. But it’s a winter’s night. Either way, sometimes you have to block out the noise. My late Uncle Pat loved a whistle so it’s a bit of a homage to him. Get on the bus; headphones in; go your own way. It’s the feel good, imposter syndrome hit of the summer.”
This single demonstrates the sheer amount of confidence that the band have within themselves, it’s confident, sleek and uniquely original. The new album ‘Pink Cactus Cafe’ also promises some surprises, with some friends of the band featuring on some tracks such as Brooke Combe, and DMA’s. The album releases on the 25th October of this year, and will be supported with a UK tour featuring dates in locations such as Cardiff and Manchester. Upon further explanation of the new record, Fray says “The last record came out on the cusp of lockdown so straight away I went into panic (writing) mode on my own but with no real plan. I wasn't sure if it was going to be a side project, Courteeners, solo project. Just songs. Everything was up in the air. So, it wasn't necessarily a Courteeners sound. I started reaching out on my Indie Rolodex as a bit of fun really, and it's ended up being the most collaborative and rewarding thing we've ever done. It's a real collage of an album, we threw everything into the melting pot.”
This single feels like the mark of a fresh new sound that is both exciting, and original. It leaves the audience intrigued as to what the rest of the album will sound like because this song is so fresh, it feels like ‘Pink Cactus Cafe’ could go in any direction musically. Courteeners fans have a bit of a wait for the album, but hopefully there will be a new single sooner rather than later.
Words by Doug Dewdney
