Review: Nearly a quarter-century after We Love Life, Pulp return with a new full-length, recorded fast, loose and on instinct. Sparked by soundcheck sketches during their 2023 reunion shows, 'Hymn Of The North' cracked open a formerly unconsidered inspiral vault, and the rest followed quickly in early 2024. Some material had lingered since the 90s; other swatches, meanwhile, are newly woven. With backing vocals courtesy of the Eno family, and strings arranged by bassist Richard Jones and performed by the Elysian Collective, the record was recorded in just three weeks in Walthamstow with James Ford at the desk. It's the fastest Pulp have ever worked, and possibly the most direct they've ever sounded.
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