https://www.rrr.org.au/subscriber-giveaways/pulp-moreCloses 15 June 2025, 11 pm
Win a copy of More AOTW
More is Pulp's first album in 24 years, emerging from what began as simple soundcheck experiments during their 2023 reunion tour. When the beloved Sheffield band started practising a new song called 'The Hymn of the North' between shows, it opened creative floodgates that had been dormant since 2001's We Love Life. Producer James Ford captured the resulting 11 tracks during three weeks at Orbb Studio in Walthamstow - the fastest recording in Pulp's history. As frontman Jarvis Cocker put it, the material was simply "ready to happen."
The album carries a dedication to longtime bassist Steve Mackey, whose tragic passing in March 2023 marked the end of an era, leaving the quartet of Cocker, Candida Doyle, Nick Banks, and Mark Webber to craft these songs as both tribute and fresh beginning. The sound weaves together synthesisers, strings, and traditional rock elements, with Richard Jones contributing orchestral arrangements performed by the Elysian Collective. Lead single 'Spike Island' layers synths, violin, and slide guitar over a propulsive rhythm - a classic Pulp song that explores Cocker's complex relationship with performance. Elsewhere, 'Got to Have Love' leans into disco influences, 'Slow Jam' rides a sultry funk bassline, and 'Tina' channels Bond-inspired dramatic pop with vintage production touches.
Lyrically, the album explores the passage of time, looking at relationships with a fresh poignancy from the band's current vantage point. 'Farmers Market' captures a moment of romantic possibility during a chance Los Angeles encounter. 'Grown Ups' explores the strange theatre of adult responsibilities through surreal spoken-word passages about space travel, anchored by Cocker's declaration: "I am not ageing/No, I am just ripening/And life's too short to drink bad wine."
The tracklist moves from festival-ready hits like 'Spike Island' to more contemplative pieces. Some songs revive musical sketches from decades past, while others emerged completely fresh during 2024, creating a collection that draws from Pulp's archive whilst addressing the realities of the present day.
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