Alt-rock greats The The have announced their first new album in nearly 25 years, Ensoulment, due September 6 via Cinéola and earMUSIC (pre-order). The first single is “Cognitive Dissident,” which bands Matt Johnson & co. in pretty remarkable form, sounding distinctly like The The and also fresh and new. Listen below.
“We live in fascinating times,” says Johnson. “Things are becoming more and more strange, inverted, and hallucinogenic. But it is vital to be hopeful. I hope people get out of this album what we put into it. It was created under happy circumstances, with a great atmosphere amongst the band and all the people who worked on it. There was a lot of thought, a lot of work, a lot of love – and a lot of laughter!”
Matt Johnson made the album with many longtime collaborators including producer Warne Livesey (who worked on Infected and Mind Bomb), bassist James Eller, keyboardist DC Collard, drummer Earl Harvin, and guitarist Barry Cadogan, plus Gillian Glover (backing vocals), Terry Edwards (horns), Sonya Cullingford (fiddle) and Danny Cummings (percussion). The album cover features previously unpublished works by Matt’s late brother, Andrew (aka Andy Dog), who did the art for Soul Mining, Infected, and Dusk.
The The have also announced UK shows and a North American tour for this fall, including stops in NYC, DC, Philly, Boston, Atlanta, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Seattle Portland, LA, and more. Tickets for North American dates go on sale Friday, May 24.
The NYC show is on October 17 at Beacon Theatre. All dates are listed below.
Tracklist
1. ‘Cognitive Dissident’
2. ‘Some Days I Drink My Coffee By The Grave Of William Blake’
3. ‘Zen & The Art Of Dating’
4. ‘Kissing The Ring Of POTUS’
5. ‘Life After Life’
6. ‘I Want To Wake Up With You’
7. ‘Down By The Frozen River’
8. ‘Risin’ Above The Need’
9. ‘Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot’
10. ‘Where Do We Go When We Die?’
11. ‘I Hope You Remember (the things I can’t forget)’
12. ‘A Rainy Day In May’
The The — 2024 Tour Dates
September
25 – Usher Hall, Edinburgh
27 – The Civic at The Halls, Wolverhampton
28 – Alexandra Palace, London
30 – The Apollo, Manchester
OCTOBER
1 Oct – Brixton Academy, London [NEW]
11 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
12 – Durham Performing Arts – Durham, NC
14 – The Anthem – Washington, DC
15 – The Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA
17 – Beacon Theatre – New York, NY
19 – Orpheum Theatre – Boston, MA
20 – MTELUS – Montreal, QC
22 – Massey Hall – Toronto, ON
23 – Masonic Cathedral Theatre – Detroit, MI
25 – The Salt Shed – Chicago, IL
26 – Palace Theatre – St. Paul, MN
29 – Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO
30 – Eccles Theater – Salt Lake City, UT
NOVEMBER
2 – Paramount Theatre – Seattle, WA
3 – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR
4 – Orpheum Theatre – Vancouver, BC
7 – Fox Theater – Oakland, CA
8 – Shrine Auditorium – Los Angeles, CA