Crisis in the neighbourhood

The new album by Liverpool group China Crisis has been released at last via the Pledge music site. 

Autumn in the Neighbourhood is their first new album of studio material in 21 years (the last being 1994's rather weedy Warped By Success), and comes a full 30 years after their multi-million selling Flaunt the Imperfection, considered by many to be their artistic zenith.

Autumn is a worthy "follow up" to their heady eighties albums, and many tracks rely on the cool, mellow sounds perfected in the mid-eighties with producer Walter Becker, while maintaining the band's whimsical homely charm. Comparisons with previous works is almost inevitable in sucg cases, yet take the album for what it is: a fine colelction of well-crafted songs, written by accomplished, mature musicians, put together without any undue pressure. 

Sadly, with the album being a Pledge 'project', it's no longer available to purchase after its initial release to pledgers although rumour has it that it will be available in proper shops soon. Rumour also has it that band member and vocalist Gary Daly is willing to send out copies against payment of an equivalent sum to a charity of your choice. Search the China Crisis Appreciation Society facebook page to see if it's still true.

Currently touring North American neighbourhoods, China Crisis will be playing various festivals over the summer and a UK tour proper afterwards. In the autumn, of course.

For a trip down memory lane and to see how the Chinas were doing 30 years ago, click on the pic for to read their interview in Smash Hits from June 1985 (courtesy of the ever wonderful Like Punk Never Happened).