Spiritualized have announced their new album And Nothing Hurt, the Jason Pierce-led space rock outfit's first album in six years.
The guitarist dubbed "J Spaceman" trumpeted the upcoming arrival of his first Spiritualized LP since 2012's Sweet Heart Sweet Light by unveiling the video for "I'm Your Man," featuring Pierce dressed as a low-budget astronaut journeying through the desolate Southwest.
Pierce recorded And Nothing Hurt – due out September 7th and available to preorder now – by himself at his London home. In a statement, he mapped out the arduous, painstaking process of crafting the album, since he didn't have the budget to record the LP the way he wanted in the studio.
"When I came to terms with how I was going to make the record, I assumed it was going to sound like Lee Perry — all flying in from different angles; all extraordinary and not hi-tech in construction. But I was new to it all, I didn’t have all the short cuts people use when they’re making records — I just sat there for weeks… for months… moving every level up bit by bit just to try to get the sounds right," Pierce said.
"With a bit of trial and lot of error, I found ways of doing something that’s quite simple, if you’ve got the resources. I spent two weeks listening to classical records and strumming the chord that I wanted on my guitar. When I found something to match what I wanted, I’d sample that bit and go for the next chord and try to match that. It took weeks, trying to put together and layer convincing string sounds. But, if I’m honest, all I wanted was for someone to come and play the part and bring their own thing to the record."
Despite its DIY, homemade creation, "I'm Your Man" captures the panoramic sound of Pierce's Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized albums, with Pierce's gospel-tinged verses backed by layers of guitars that build to an orchestral crescendo on the chorus. While Spiritualized's 1997 classic Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space carried dozens of musicians, Pierce has seemingly managed to replicate the scope of that production alone in his bedroom.
Pierce also released "A Perfect Miracle," a romantic ballad recalling Blur's more tender songs that builds to sweeping strings and dense harmonies.
In support of the album, Spiritualized have planned a pair of U.S. shows, October 11th at Brooklyn's Kings Theatre and October 16th at Los Angeles' Orpheum Theatre.
And Nothing Hurt Track List
1. "A Perfect Miracle"
2. "I’m Your Man"
3. "Here It Comes (The Road) Let’s Go"
4. "Let’s Dance"
5. "On The Sunshine"
6. "Damaged"
7. "The Morning After"
8. "The Prize"
9. "Sail On Through"