However Then Once more – Album Overview

Chris Pope & The Chords UK: However Then Once more

(EPOP Information)

CD | DL

Out 4th April 2025

PRE-ORDER HERE

Chris Pope & The Chords UK unleash an epic 44-track assortment of songs which tells the story of the band since its superb reincarnation over a decade in the past, alongside his personal solo profession. It’s an album which reaffirms The Chords UK’s place on the highest desk of traditional British establishments in addition to showcasing their very own model of punk-infused energy pop which places the mod into modern-day people.

Since Chris Pope re-incarnated The Chords UK again in 2013, the band have continued to construct on their robust status which dates again to their emergence within the late 70’s Mod revival, creating their very personal model of punk-infused energy pop alongside the best way via the discharge of latest materials and incendiary dwell exhibits. However while Chris has all the time had extra of a concentrate on the long run than the previous, it’s clear that he felt the time was proper to rejoice the legacy of this nice band by bringing collectively a wealth of fabric as a ‘Greatest Of’ and taking all of it out on the highway to get folks dancing once more.

The brand new album However Then Once more, is a mammoth 44-song set of latest and beforehand unreleased tracks, remastered, remixed, remade variations of favourites, unashamedly obscure B-sides, and even dwell recordings, all of which is designed to essentially inform the story of his personal solo profession and the band because it regrouped to as soon as once more ignite levels. It’s primarily a set of songs that pulls on what has gone earlier than however which has now been revisited and breathes new life into an impressive legacy.

As Chris explains in regards to the impetus for this venture, “I made a decision just a few years in the past to begin work on a ‘compilation/ better of’, of types. However merely so as to add 20 plus songs from six albums onto Vinyl/CD and put it on the market: that will be far too simple and wouldn’t curiosity me one bit! As an alternative, I appeared again at songs from the three Pope albums ‘Grace of God’, ‘Tall Tales’, ‘Peace of Thoughts’ and the Hat-trick of Chords UK albums ‘Tackle Life’, ‘Nowhere Land’ and ‘Huge Metropolis Goals’, then picked those we knew we might ‘dream up’ once more or re-imagine. The brand new tracks are renderings of unrecorded songs written between 1982 as much as 2024. Lastly, we hit the acoustic guitars, and a few previous authentic Chords tunes acquired laid down too.”

No assortment of Chords UK songs is full with out some uplifting state of the nation addresses reminiscent of opening tune British Approach Of Life, with its sense of resignation that “nothing occurs right here” and traditional traces reminiscent of “I swallow my goals like my beer,” and the social commentary of Eat Sleep Work Repeat, plundering the monotony of on a regular basis life for therefore many individuals. And alongside their very own model of excessive octane-fuelled rock ’n’ roll, one factor that has by no means been unsure is the band’s penchant for crafting memorable and anthemic sing-along songs that are large on melodies, and which make you stand up and dance. And there are quite a few examples of this together with the likes of Courageous New World, Mutiny On The Thames and One Blissful Man.

It’s most positively an album of many types and influences together with the reggae-infused Analogy Of Life, the driving ska rhythm of Twenty First Century Woman and the guitar-driven energy pop of World Gone Loopy, a passionate exploration of all that’s corrupt in at this time’s world which is regularly surrounded by “Pretend information …. conspiracies, everyone’s acquired their very own model of the reality.” We additionally get hefty chunk of bluesy slide guitar in All I Ever Needed (Was to Be Needed By You).

Amongst all of the rock ’n’ roll insanity, we do get to listen to the softer facet of the band via sentimental songs like Love’s Nonetheless Right here, 9 To 5 And Me, Goals Of Yesterday and the piano-driven Man On The Northern Line. After which in sharp distinction we get a cluster of swinging get together songs like Get Me To Saturday Night time and Indie Disco Friday Night time which take us on a nostalgia journey again in time with references to the Prime 40, T.Rex, Steve Harley and 45s, a interval in time when even I bear in mind the way it was “so good to be alive.”

As a band who’re very a lot the harbingers of contemporary day people we get some traditional examples of this via White Van Man, which has a a lot brighter and poppier really feel because it nods again to the previous days when Chris spent a lot of his time driving for a residing, and Veronica Jones, which packs an actual punch because it regales the story of a very good time lady who’s clearly out to have a rattling good time.

As ever from a band with such a wealthy legacy, there’s all the time time for a nod to their heroes with the likes of Hey Youngsters! Come The Revolution. This may properly be a tongue-in-cheek name to arms, however it’s delivered with all the facility and perspective of The Conflict with a traditional arms-aloft anthemic high quality which shines proper via the majestic refrain traces. Someplace Past The Rainbow is one other fearsome collision of a driving rock ’n’ roll rhythm and sharp and angular guitars which references again to the traditional instances of The Conflict from the late 70’s, all enveloped with some infectious vocal harmonies and usually anthemic sing-along refrain traces. As Chris sings, “There’s a world on the market and it’s ours for the taking”, you positively really feel that if The Chords UK carry on delivering songs like this, if there’s any justice on this world in any respect then that should absolutely come true in the end.

A stark but highly effective Possibly Tomorrow closes disc two earlier than main onto a 3rd disc containing an additional treasure trove of remasters, new recordings, acoustic and dwell takes which add even additional weight to this pot of rock ’n’ roll gold. It’s additionally price noting that the album is available in a superbly offered 3CD gatefold package deal full with lyrics included in an enclosed booklet.

By way of this assortment of songs, The Chords UK have showcased all that’s nice about music via their traditional mix of punk-infused energy pop, glam, punk, reggae, ska, people and a lot extra. However Then Once more is an album which speaks of the sights, sounds and influences flowing out of the colourful cultural atmosphere that has enveloped the band because it continued to construct its magnificent legacy over time. The standard of the songs is true testomony to how far the band has come from its humble beginnings however can be a signpost to the long run through which I’ve little question there’s a lot extra to come back.

Chris Pope & The Chords UK have introduced in depth touring plans for 2025 with UK dates aligning with each their album launch and a subsequent ‘So Far Away’ forty fifth Anniversary tour, with a nod to their debut album launched again in January 1980. The dates confirmed are as follows:

April
04 Norwich, The Waterfront
11 Brighton, Daltons
12 London, 100 Membership
17 Studying, Face Bar
18 Peterborough, Membership With No Title
19 Paisley, Bungalow Bar
20 Hull, The Haworth
25 Looe, Cornwall (Ska & Mod Competition)
26 Bournemouth, Anvil

Could
03 Bristol, Thekla

October
02 Liverpool, The Cavern
03 Manchester, Rebel
04 Newcastle, The Cluny
25 Hampton, Hub
25 Woking, Fiery Fowl
31 Glasgow, Slay

November
01 Edinburgh, Voodoo Rooms
07 Leeds, The Previous Woollen
14 Truro, The Previous Bakery
15 Bristol, The Change

You should buy tickets for the tour dates right here or right here.

You’ll be able to pre-order the album right here.

You’ll find Chris Pope & The Chords UK on Fb, Instagram and Bandcamp.

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All phrases by Ian Corbridge. You’ll find extra of his writing at his writer profile right here.