Described by Robin Denselow in The Guardian as “a home-grown answer to R.E.M.,” Innocents Abroad makes a much-anticipated return with their third album, Late Spring, following a lengthy hiatus. The band, known for their melodic sound and introspective lyrics, captures the essence of contemporary life while drawing on classic influences.
“Late Spring” kicks off with the infectious track “King of Luxembourg.” From the start, it’s clear that this song is easy on the ears, boasting a fluidity that’s somewhat unusual for rock. The enjoyable beats create a blissful listening experience, with captivating riffs and impressive male vocal work that had me smiling throughout. The chorus elevates the song to masterpiece status, enhanced by a beautiful female chorus in the backdrop that adds depth and harmony.
Following this, “Parramatta Eel” emerges as another standout track. It feels like a soundtrack for a long drive with friends, where every note invites you to sing along. The ebb and flow of the chorus, combined with retro-sounding riffs and upbeat yet smooth beats, creates a listening experience unlike any other. The dreamy quality of the chorus further enhances the song’s charm, making it a gorgeous and uplifting listen.
“Dandelion Clock” takes a more introspective turn, starting slowly with gentle riffs that are soon joined by crisp percussion. The song gradually picks up pace, transitioning smoothly into a more upbeat rhythm. Its warm, rich bass sound adds depth, reflecting on the transient nature of experiences and reminding us how quickly moments can pass. The subtleties that follow create a poignant atmosphere, making this track both reflective and engaging.
Closing the album is “The Door Into Summer,” which bursts forth with a lively, upbeat country sound. The energetic vocals convey a sense of urgency and anticipation, heralding the arrival of summer. The powerful guitars create a resonant sound that intensifies the music, while dynamic shifts in the composition give it an engaging structure. Even amidst the musical chaos, there’s a calming presence, enriched by diverse harmonies that add layers of depth.
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Overall, “Late Spring” is a beautifully crafted journey through sound, blending together moments of joy, reflection, and anticipation. Each track offers a unique perspective while maintaining a cohesive feel, making this release a compelling listen from start to finish. Whether you’re looking to unwind or sing along, this album delivers an unforgettable experience.
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We had an opportunity to talk to Innocents Abroad. Keep reading to know more.
Q. Hey, Innocents Abroad! Welcome to Sinusoidal, and congrats on your new album “Late Spring.” The opener, “King of Luxembourg,” feels playful yet layered. Who or what is the “King of Luxembourg” to you? Is it a metaphor, a character, or a slice of personal history?
Well, as Pete told Louder Than War magazine:
”King Of Luxembourg is a somewhat humorous reflection on looking back – I had caught myself more and more regaling people or the captive audience of my students with yarns of what I had once done and how I had once lived –‘when I was this, or that, or living here, or seeing this person…’ and so on. So that’s the impetus for the song, and the little trick it plays on itself is that in each verse the province and position gets progressively more minor – can you say that, I don’t know – as the song goes on, the territory is smaller, the rank lower, that’s what I mean. It’s an exercise in reduction: in the end, you are left with yourself, and only yourself, in the place where you stand. Another thing I like about it is that it’s like a singing game, the sort that kids would sing in the playground. You can make up your own verses once you grasp the lyrical conceit. I adore that Babel-style linguistic mix-up a song can give. I wanted a mix of languages – there are four on the album, five if you include Australian slang.”
It’s the sort of single that would have gotten us into the lower reaches of the charts had it come out in, say, 1978. Perhaps even an appearance on TOTP at that time. Certainly, it would now be popping up on most of those ‘Best of New Wave’ compilations that clutter up this world of The Tribute Act. Except that it is our own great songwriting and it is NOW, not applauding its own youth or our Dads’ record collections, which seems to be the order of today
Q. “Dandelion Clock” captures the fleeting nature of time beautifully. Was there a specific moment in your life that sparked this reflection?
Well, I guess we’re members of a generation that was culturally very interested in the nature of time in the music, films and literature we were consuming. Those days were far less fascinated by celebrity than appears to be the case today and our aspirations felt more rooted in a desire to expand culture and access to it, so we had intent more serious than much that followed. Besides, the passage of time is a fundamentally human fascination and when you add to this the fact that we are a band reunited across several decades of distance from one another, it’s hardly surprising that the subject of time and its passing should crop up in our new work. But you’re right, Pete writes such deft and adroit lyrics. I’m a well-published poet myself, but Pete is easily one of my favourite song lyricists. His sensibility is part of the band’s fingerprint. Musically, the opening riff is even a self-reference across time in its recycling of part of an old song from our first phase in the 1980s. So time is slewed all over the place as it should be in great art.
Q. “The Door Into Summer” track bursts with anticipation, almost like it’s chasing something. What was the emotional core you wanted to capture here?
How weird you should bring up this track. You should, perhaps, do more research here, as it is the only cover on the album and, therefore, not our song. It is my favourite song by The Monkees, from their 1967 album, ‘Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd’. It’s title also happened to fit perfectly into the imaginative time-space at the end of an album called Late Spring. Peter is also something of an acclaimed expert on the Prefab Four, who were far more influential upon our generation of musicians & songwriters than is widely recognised. Perhaps Oasis would have an ounce more wit about them had they ripped off The Monkees rather than The Beatles. No marks for your AI here, I fear. Go read Pete’s book. The Monkees, Head and the 60s or get your algorithm to.
Q. Was there a song that unlocked the sound of the album for you, like a keystone piece that made the rest fall into place?
Better question. Thanks. You know, answers might be different for each member of the band but for me, as the album’s musical director, it was probably one of the early tracks written, like ‘Paramatta Eel’ or ‘Patience Blackburn’ or even ‘Dandelion Clock’. Once these came to the fore, I felt confident that the album would be viable or even better than that. Later tracks, like ‘King of Luxembourg’ – which was written by Pete and I together in 5 magical minutes – merely sealed the deal. And the bossa nova of ‘Astrud’s House’ – which was the first song written here in Ireland and done with Jane’s input – broadened the palette of the album some. What can I tell you, it’s a strong album of songs.
Q. Which classic influences felt most alive in this record, and which moments felt like uncharted territory for Innocents Abroad?
Uncharted territory was probably the aforementioned bossa nova of ‘Astrud’s House’ which was self-consciously atypical and written with two things in mind. First, I’m aware of Peter’s love for European pop and those 60s jazz grooves exemplified by Astrud Gilberto. So, I knew he would dig that groove and love Jane’s gamin style chorus melody. Secondly, it was always going to be Track 9 on the album and I was determined to provide eloquent rebuttal to my mate Robert Forster’s theory that the penultimate track on every album is its weakest. In all modesty, I think we succeed on both counts.
Q. If listeners could only play one track to understand the soul of “Late Spring,” which one would you want it to be?
Again, what I want and what the other members of Innocents Abroad want might be very different things. Most days, for me, it would probably be ‘Patience Blackburn’ and I think that might be so for Jane too. Though I’ve soft spots for others: ‘Dandelion Clock’ for its neo-psychedelic wig out and ‘Cave Canem’ because of its slow genesis through a few tricky compositional states into something coherent and nastily good. Pete, I think might opt for ‘Astrud’s House’ for reasons I’ve already touched on. Stuart’s ‘fave’ I’ve no idea about. Perhaps it might be ‘King of Luxembourg’. It depends on who you ask.
Q. After a long hiatus, what was the very first spark that made you say, “It’s time to make another record”?
It started with a visit from Peter to my place up in the north of Scotland on the Aberdeenshire coast. We got chatting. Collaboratively, the aim was simply born out of curiosity to see if Peter and I could still write together and pick up a forty-year-long conversation where we left off. For myself, and without wishing to sound too dramatic, the failure of the band to follow through on its early promise first-time round was possibly one of the most significant determinants of the rest of my life. When I look back, the channeling of my disappointment and frustration at that way marked a lot of what I went on to do subsequently: work abroad, train the be a sound engineer, work in studios, put together a new band, release other albums and feel the Law of Diminishing Dignity kick in.
Q. Now that “Late Spring” has marked your return, what’s next for Innocents Abroad? More albums, tours, or new directions?
Well, I’m 70% through writing a follow-up, which we hope to record next year for 2027 release. Meantime, we’ve just put out ‘Glider’ from the Berlin sessions as a download single and we’ll put out another from those sessions as a vinyl 45 in late spring 2026 (do you see a theme emerging here?). On the 1st March next year, we’re also planning to release a compilation of the band’s recordings from its youthful first phase: Slow Time (1984-1988). This will also be download only, at least at first. We’ll see how it’s received, though we’ve had good review of this album from the likes of Shindig, Record Collector and Rock n Reel magazines. We shall see. Right now, we want to play live a lot more, which will involve finding a reliable live drummer as Stuart is ridiculously busy with his work as Head of an Animation degree and as drummer in another band. Besides which, he lives a long way away from Jane and I in London. We have been doing some gigs and in-stores as a three-piece recently, however, with the album drums and my programming triggered by me from my phone. They went really well and this arrangement allows for perhaps a better sound balance in smaller venues than we’d get with a big loud live kit. So, it’s all very lively right now and, hopefully on into next year. I need to finish the new material and the poetry collection I’m working on right now, though. It’s all go.
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