Manchester greats A Certain Ratio have announced It All Comes Down to This, the group’s 13th album, which will be released April 19 via Mute. They made this one with producer Dan Carey (Fontaines DC, Wet Leg, Black Midi, Slowthai) who helped Jez Kerr, Martin Moscrop and Donald Johnson strip down ACR to its bones.
“It’s the Ratio removing the safety net,” Kerr says. “Every element of everything we’ve done on this album has been a change.” Johnson adds, “It wasn’t a matter of rubbing everyone else out, it was, ‘let’s find the thing that makes us work.’ And we know that’s just the three of us being as basic as possible – no frills, no major overdubs. Just visceral and happening in the moment.”
You can tell this is something different with the album’s title track, that veers into into Britpop territory by way of the mid-’00s post-punk revival (which ACR were a big inspiration on). It’s poppy, it’s charming, it’s one of their most immediate songs ever and you can listen below.
A Certain Ratio will be on tour in the UK this spring and all dates are listed below.
It All Comes Down to This
1. All Comes Down to This
2. Keep it Real
3. We All Need
4. Surfer Ticket
5. Bitten by a Lizard
6. God Knows
7. Out from Under
8. Estate Kings
9. Where you Coming From
10. Dorothy Says
A CERTAIN RATIO – 2024 TOUR DATES
4/25/2024 – Huddersfield, UK – The Parish
4/26/2024 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell
4/27/2024 – Blackpool, UK – Bootleg Social
4/28/2024 – Edinburgh, UK – Summerhall
4/29/2024 – Aberdeen, UK – The Tunnels
5/1/2024 – Norwich, UK – Arts Centre
5/2/2024 – London, UK – Fabric
5/3/2024 – Bedford, UK – Esquires
5/4/2024 – Portsmouth, UK – Wedgewood Rooms
5/5/2024 – Brighton, UK – Concorde 2
5/9/2024 – Birmingham, UK – Castle & Falcon
5/10/2024 – Hull, UK – Social
5/11/2024 – Sheffield, UK – Foundry
5/12/2024 – Bristol, UK – Exchange
5/17/2024 – Manchester, UK – New Century Hall