Though she's best known as a member of the long-running pop group Saint Etienne, singer-songwriter Sarah Cracknell has dabbled in a solo career of her own. Her last proper studio release came nearly two decades ago with 1997's Lipslide, but she'll soon follow it up with another album.
The new release is called Red Kite and features 12 new compositions from Sarah Cracknell. She's not entirely alone, either, as the album features guest appearances from Manic Street Preachers' Nicky Wire and a group called the Rails.
The album was recorded with Carwyn Ellis and Seb Lewsley, both of whom have worked with Edwyn Collins in the past.
In a press release, Cracknell offered the following statement:
The first influences Carwyn and I started talking about were records by Marianne Faithful and lots of baroque pop music like the Left Banke. From there, we started taking inspiration from records by Ennio Morricone, Joe Meek, the Beach Boys. We were drawn to records where the productions are properly out there; records where an odd instrument or noise sits right at the top of the mix and becomes the hook. I wanted to accentuate the wrong thing and try to stop people in their tracks. On the more upbeat tracks, Felt records from the Cherry Red years were a real cornerstone, records that had space and air in them.
Cherry Red will issue Red Kite on June 15. The album's "On the Swings" can be streamed below.
Red Kite:
1. On the Swings
2. Nothing Left to Talk About (ft. Nicky Wire)
3. In the Dark
4. Ragdoll
5. Underneath the Stars
6. Hearts Are For Breaking
7. Take the Silver (ft. the Rails)
8. The Mutineer
9. I Close My Eyes
10. It's Never Too Late
11. I Am Not Your Enemy
12. Favourite Chair
The new release is called Red Kite and features 12 new compositions from Sarah Cracknell. She's not entirely alone, either, as the album features guest appearances from Manic Street Preachers' Nicky Wire and a group called the Rails.
The album was recorded with Carwyn Ellis and Seb Lewsley, both of whom have worked with Edwyn Collins in the past.
In a press release, Cracknell offered the following statement:
The first influences Carwyn and I started talking about were records by Marianne Faithful and lots of baroque pop music like the Left Banke. From there, we started taking inspiration from records by Ennio Morricone, Joe Meek, the Beach Boys. We were drawn to records where the productions are properly out there; records where an odd instrument or noise sits right at the top of the mix and becomes the hook. I wanted to accentuate the wrong thing and try to stop people in their tracks. On the more upbeat tracks, Felt records from the Cherry Red years were a real cornerstone, records that had space and air in them.
Cherry Red will issue Red Kite on June 15. The album's "On the Swings" can be streamed below.
Red Kite:
1. On the Swings
2. Nothing Left to Talk About (ft. Nicky Wire)
3. In the Dark
4. Ragdoll
5. Underneath the Stars
6. Hearts Are For Breaking
7. Take the Silver (ft. the Rails)
8. The Mutineer
9. I Close My Eyes
10. It's Never Too Late
11. I Am Not Your Enemy
12. Favourite Chair
