A new year and another comeback it is for Falkirk’s Finest. Following on from their terrific “As Days Get Dark” record, Arab Strap are set to return with their 2nd LP for Mogwai’s Rock Action Records.
“I’m totally fine with it 👍 don’t give a fuck anymore 👍“ is due 10th May 2024 and available to Pre-order right here
To coincide, Arab Strap have released their first single “Bliss”, an almost entirely electronic morbid-disco banger with just a hint of Malcolm Middleton’s guiding guitar groove. Lyrically, the song addresses the horrors of online hate, as singer Aidan Moffat says, “It’s about women being terrorised online; it’s about cowardice and bigotry. It’s about how we expose ourselves on social platforms while hiding alone at home. But you can dance to it too!”
The track comes accompanied by a video directed by award-winning, Glasgow-based director Ains featuring a striking dancer personifying a character trapped in a dystopian realm.
Watch ‘Bliss’
The records title, “I’m totally fine with it 👍 don’t give a fuck anymore 👍” was born out of a text from the band’s live drummer that Moffat thought was funny.
With the band having recently wrapped up a tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of their 1998 album Philophobia, this new album feels charged by a desire to move forward and explore new terrain. “The tour’s been fun, but I’ll be glad it’s over so we can move on,” laughs Middleton, while Moffat echoes him. “The Philophobia gigs have been a way of saying goodbye to the old us,” he says. “It was a very gentle, quiet tour, so I expect this year we’ll just be playing banger after banger – I think we’ve earned the right to make some noise now.”
Catch Arab Strap live:
20th May – The Brickyard, Carlisle
21st May – Fire Station, Sunderland
22nd May – Castle & Falcon, Birmingham
23rd May – Lantern, Bristol
24th May – Koko, London
25th May – Gorilla, Manchester
26th May – Brudenell, Leeds
21st Sept – Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow
Tickets available via https://www.arabstrap.scot/
