Once again we turn our attention to Liverpool (loads of great artists still emerging from this region). With new music, we present the latest from a not-so-new band. In fact, this band’s origins date back to the late 1970s, their music output also being lumped in with the ikes of Echo & The Bunnymen, David J, Gang of Four, The Fall, Urge Overkill and even Red House Painters. As ever, their output is top notch and enthralling.
We are referring to The Room, whose new single ‘Sleepless’ was inspired by the modern-day phenomenon of internet addiction, social media and news junkies. Following lead track‘The Drift’, this is the latest offering from their ‘Restless Fate’ LP, the band’s first new recordings in 38 years. Producer Mark Jordan has also created accompanying videos for both singles.
Originally formed by singer Dave Jackson and bassist Becky Stringer in 1979, they are once again joined by the band’s original drummer Clive Thomas, as well as guitarist Darren Brown, keyboardist Ethan Kyme and drummer Tom McCabe.
Recorded and mixed at Ark Studios in Liverpool and released on 9×9 Records, this album was co-produced by Dave Jackson and Steve Powell (Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band, Autour De Lucie, Echo & The Bunnymen).
‘Restless Fate’ picks up where the band left off. At times shimmering, at times haunting, their melodic blend of progressive, alternative pop and sultry post-punk is just as relevant and captivating now as when they broke up in 1985. An exploration of man’s search for meaning and the dysfunction of the human condition, there is still a relentless optimism at the core of this record.
The Room recorded four John Peel sessions, appeared on The Whistle Test and worked with Television‘s Tom Verlaine and John Porter (Roxy Music, The Smiths, Billy Bragg) on their ‘In Evil Hour’ LP (1984). Recordings from Janice Long’s BBC Radio One programme and Saturday Live were used for the 1985 release ‘Jackpot Jack’ EP. 2004 brought their ‘No Dream (Best Of)’ compilation, followed by 2005’s ‘Indoor Fireworks’ LP, which was actually recorded in 1982.
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Having toured the UK and the USA, The Room has also performed with The Fall, The Birthday Party, Bauhaus, Southern Death Cult, Violent Femmes, Tom Verlaine, John Foxx and The Red Guitars.
Following the band’s split, Becky and Dave went on to form several other bands: Benny Profane, Dust and Dead Cowboys. Dave has also recorded under his own name and, most recently, he issued a string of releases as The Room in the Wood (with Paul Cavanagh).
“It’s great to revisit old stuff, but writing new songs as The Room is where the excitement really lies. New Dreams from an island cursed by Restless Fate,” says Dave Jackson.
“‘Sleepless’ is about addiction to media that keeps us on our phones and obsessed by trivia. ‘Red Admiral’ is a reflection on childhood with an implied murder mystery hidden in the picture. ‘Kingdom’ is an atheists hymn. ‘Crying Face’ is about a Facebook troll I know. ‘Bull in the Doorway’ is about the paintings of Francis Bacon. ‘Mirror World’ is an oblique response to a misinformation in the media. ‘Cursed Islands’ is about an island off the coast of Napoli and also the redundant World Islands in Dubai. ‘Time Comes’ was another response to lockdown. ‘The Reeds’ is about a bereaved swan on Prince’s Park Lake.”
The ‘Restless Fate’ album is out now, available digitally across fine music platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify andAmazon. It can also be obtained on CD and as a vinyl record via Liverpool-based 9×9 Records.
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