20/03/2011

The School, digital single and video for "Hoping and praying"

After how much we enjoyed their singles, and that incredible full-length, “Loveless Unbeliever”, nobody can claim that THE SCHOOL doesn’t deserve a privileged position on the pop podium, with their sixties tendencies that people would be hard-pressed to get them away from. The way this Cardiff-based band has dealt with northern soul, sixties pop, girl-pop and sunshine-pop has earned them a great reputation and a legion of fans in even the most unexpected corners of the earth. They have uncountable hits. Rough Trade has included their songs on favorite-artist-of-the-year compilation albums not once, but twice. Their album has been distributed all over the world and we have licensed them to independent labels in the States, Korea, Japan, Australia, the Phillipines… They have given concerts on the most respected stages, especially highlighting their performances at Indietracks Festival, Lemon Pop Festival and South Pop… Their music is included on the soundtracks of a ton of movies, TV series and ad campaigns all over the world. And best of all, they gave us a collection of unforgettable songs, presided over by Liz’s sweet voice, called on to remain in the memory of everyone who loves stories about falling in and out of love.

And like the cherry on the top of this already great sundae, we get a surprise gift. “Hoping and Praying” arrives in digital format with really appetizing content. This new release will be presided over by “Hoping and Praying”, one of the songs that best reflects the album’s spirit: youthful and excited, vital and colorful, melancholy and tremendously fun. Next, “Can You Feel It?” is a previously unreleased track from the album sessions, about which we are still asking ourselves today why it didn’t make it onto the album, with its accelerated pop and glorious chorus. One of the greatest gems of this EP is “And Suddenly”, and incredible version of one of the last compositions by THE LEFT BANKE, originally released as a Split-single with GEORGE WASHINGTON BROWN on Slumberland Records, and which at times brings our protagonists close to the gorgeous elegance of Bacharach. And then there is the closer, “Let Me Be The Fairy on Your Christmas Tree Tonight”, taken from the compilation “A Very Cherry Christmas Volume 5” from the British label Cherryade Records, with its rock ´n roll piano along the best lines of THE SHIRELLES and THE SHANGRILA’S, as if we would expect anything less.

The culmination of all of this is the precious video for the title track, directed once again by Tom Readdy (who also did their two previous videos), in which we can see the band playing, nothing more and nothing less, in the altar of a church (!!), while at their backs all sort of colorful “miracles” are taking place, which John Lennon would definitely approve of. Both the album cover and the celestial animations are by Lucy Dawkins.

Liz’s group is already working on songs for their new album, and they leave us now longing for the arrival of their new releases, so necessary to keep our hearts warm, like they’ve done so far.

***Release date: 9th March

Digital single!!!!!

Click here to listen to the single on SPOTIFY

Click here to listen to the single on DEEZER

Click here to watch the video-clip of "Hoping and praying"

iTunes Video

iTunes Audio

THE SCHOOL: Digital single and video for "Hoping and praying"
picture: The School, Single digital y video para "Hoping and praying"
20/03/2011