What’s on ACSOM’s Stereo? Badly Drawn Boy’s new LP ‘Banana Skin Shoes’

Badly Drawn Boy, aka Damon Gough, is set to make his eagerly awaited return with the release of a new album through AWAL on the 22nd of May 2020.

Banana Skin Shoes features fourteen brand new tracks including the political pop of current single Is This A Dream? and sees Gough pushing forward yet again both musically and lyrically whilst retaining some of his classic trademarks. The bulk of the album’s production was completed at Eve Studios in Stockport last year with producer Gethin Pearson (Kele Okereke, JAWS) who also mixed the whole record. Damon had previously worked on tracks for the album with legendary producer Youth (The Verve, Paul McCartney) at his studio in London, Keir Stewart (ex-Durutti Column) at Inch Studios and Seadna McPhail at Airtight Studios.

Always one to wear his heart on his sleeve, Gough’s ninth album and first studio album in a decade is a truly personal and heartfelt collection of songs, a huge statement of intent and the most glorious, colourful warming, honest pop record you’ll probably hear all year. From the blast of the opening title track and forthcoming single with its riotous Beck-meets-Beasties ‘cartoony’ hip hop throw down to the immaculately tailored closer I’ll Do My Best a nod to his failings, a prayer to his partner and a lyrical tip of the hat to his hero Bruce Springsteen; this is the sound of a songwriter skipping between musical idioms and emotional extremes with a cool, calm confidence. The new single Banana Skin Shoes is out now and accompanied by an animated video by award-winning film directors Broken Antler.

Buy Banana Skin Shoes HERE

In between, there’s the retro-futurist pop on Fly On The Wall, which evokes the eighties pop-soul of Hall and Oates, the lush piano-and-strings ballad Never Change and the Motown-like soul stomper of Tony Wilson Said; a celebration of the late, great fixer of the Manchester music scene. I Need Someone To Trust, which begins with a delicious nod to Chicago’s soft-rock classic If You Leave Me Now, is a spiritual song of salvation-seeking, and quite frankly, air-punching while the beautiful, embracing and loving I Just Wanna Wish You Happiness sees him dig deep and alchemise the trauma of a break – up into a song of salutation to his ex.

Pre-order the new LP HERE.

Album Track Listing:

01. Banana Skin Shoes

02. Is This A Dream?

03. I Just Wanna Wish You Happiness

04. I’m Not Sure What It Is

05. Tony Wilson Said

06. You And Me Against The World

07. I Need Someone To Trust

08. Note To Self

09. Colours

10. Funny Time Of Year

11. Fly On The Wall

12. Never Change

13. Appletree Boulevard

14. I’ll Do My Best

Following on from his recent London sell-out show in January at The Roundhouse, the Mercury Music Prize winner will be announcing further live dates over the coming months. More details to follow…