change we can believe in

The internet is a crazy beast. You can converse with people you've never met. Find out about things in the blink of an eye. And there is a certain e-etiquette I believe bloggers should follow. Always tip your hat to the messenger and thank them for directing your attention to information you might not otherwise have stumbled across.

People really close to me know that I've been waiting for the new Prefab Sprout album, "Let's Change The World With Music". Not in a desperate stalker kind of way. More like the warm feeling you get when an old friend turns up after you haven't seen them for a while. 

Looks like Paddy McAloon and co. are gonna release their new album on September 7. Until now, there hasn't been more than a peep about it. Sometimes I thought it might not see the light of day.

This morning, Stephen, fellow pop aficionado over at XO's Middle Eight, alerted me to the albums' sleeve design and tracklisting which were recently unveiled on the band's official, unofficial homepage. 

We're a little suspect in regard to the title. Very Julie Andrews, in my opinion. The cover art, although not terribly exciting, has a clean, graphic element which I quite like. The upside down i in "music" is both a bit odd and endearing. But seriously, a map of the world? Surely they could've come up with something better or more interesting. Or maybe that's Paddy McAloon's idea of being clever in an obvious way. Never underestimate the genius of a genius.

The tracklisting for the 11 song longplayer is as follows:

1. Let There Be Music
2. Ride
3. I Love Music
4. God Watch Over You
5. Music Is A Princess
6. Earth, The Story So Far
7. Last Of The Great Romantics
8. Falling In Love
9. Sweet Gospel Music
10. Meet The New Mozart
11. Angel Of Love

While I wait with baited breath for the album to drop, I'd love to share a couple of my favorite Prefab Sprout moments.



"If You Don't Love Me" was a single pulled from their first greatest hits collection, "The Best Of Prefab Sprout - A Life Of Surprises". One of Trevor Horn's finest productions. With a Paddy McAloon song and a suitably OTT TH production, how could it be anything but magnificent? Tenderness among the bombast.

Then I'm opting for "Cruel" from their debut album, "Swoon".



My favorite parts are the creakiness in Paddy's voice when he sings "lordy" in the first verse and the easy listening, 60s sounding ba-ba-ba's in the chorus.

Let's hope the new album continues the tradition of clever moments and top notch songsmithery we've come to know and love from the Sprout.