A Certain Ratio, the Manchester avant-funk post-punk band formed in 1977, has announced their 11th studio album, titled 1982, set to be released on March 31 via Mute. The first track shared from the album is "Waiting on a Train," featuring vocals from Manchester rapper Chunky and neo-soul singer Ellen Beth Abdi. According to the band's Martin Moscrop, the collaboration balances pop, surrealism, and moodiness. The album follows their previous release, ACR Loco. The tracklist for 1982 includes songs like "Samo," "A Trip in Hulme," "Constant Curve," and "Ballad of ACR."
What Worked
A unique band going on five decades, A Certain Ratio returns with a dance-punk album that sounds both like an influence to and influenced by the early aughts bands like !!! and LCD Soundsystem that fused indie rock ethos with dance-floor beats. Opening with the classic hip-hop infused "Samo," featuring slap funk bass mixed with odd percussion, makes for a truly unique sound few have successfully pulled off. The percussive, bass-driven sound continues throughout, like on the Ellen Beth Abdi and Chunky-led "Waiting on a Train" and Abdi's later appearance on the breakbeat "Afro Dizzy." It's hard not to have a good time listening to this record, like the handclap and cowbell "Holy Smoke" and congo-driven "Constant Curve," which features Abdi with Andy Meecham, otherwise known as The Emperor Machine, laying down sci-fi keys and basslines.
What Didn't Work
The whole album is very much an uptempo, dancy party mood. A few of the tracks, like the closer "Ballad of ACR," go off in not-so-dancy directions that are more experimental.
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