Unconventional, experimental and unmistakably Scottish, the duo of Arab Strap are releasing their eighth studio album on May 10 with a title designed like a WhatsApp message.
Featuring a yellow thumbs-up emoji after each sentence, the album's title suggests a somewhat resigned attitude: "I'm totally fine with it [thumbs up] don't give a fuck anymore. [thumbs up]"
But don't be fooled by the title. This collection of songs is musically diverse and will invite you to dance in a way that Arab Strap has rarely done before.
At the same time, the lyrics reveal an underlying anger, as they deal with a loss of connection to the real world in a life that increasingly takes place online - in the digital parallel world.
The song "Bliss" is carried by a dynamic electro beat, which contrasts excitingly with the lyrics delivered in a low voice. "Strawberry Moon", on the other hand, is characterised by an Afrobeat rhythm. Meanwhile the track "Safe & Well" ponders the recent pandemic with a sombre ballad.
With the new album, Aidan Moffat (51) and Malcolm Middleton (50) are deliberately breaking new creative ground. "We’re not trying to sound like old Arab Strap," Moffat said in a press statement.
"Phase one, if you like, was focused on the ugliness and messiness of romance as a youngster, and that’s just not what Arab Strap sings about anymore. It feels like two different bands."
The duo worked on the record for two years, longer than ever before on an album, and possibly because it wasn't supposed to be an album at first: "We started making quite upbeat, catchy and dynamic songs. But then we started adding more different songs and it became an album," says Middleton.
The band has just finished a tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of "Philophobia" - their second studio album. In a way, it was a farewell to the old, rather quiet songs, said Moffat. They are already looking forward to live performances with the new songs. It will be one hit after another, Moffat predicts.
