Listen to The Wolfgang Press’ “Sad Surfer” from first album in 29 years

The Wolfgang Press, who released many great records on 4AD during the label’s imperial ’80s / ’90s era, are gearing up to release A 2nd Shape, their first album in 29 years, in September. The first single from the album is “Sad Surfer,” was just released. It’s an understated little number powered by a vintage rhythm box and tremolo’d guitar chords which lap like waves. What makes this unmistakably The Wolfgang Press, however, is Michael Allen’s voice which slips between a whispery baritone and plaintive wails. It’s good to have them back.

Say the band: “’Sad Surfer’ is one of the first songs written for the album, and references the Victorian painter Richard Dadd, who painted imagined landscapes populated by fairies and supernatural beings. Dadd killed his father convinced he was the devil, and thereafter spent most of his life painting in Bethlem and Broadmoor hospitals.”

Listen to “Sad Surfer” below.

The album was made by founding members Michael Allen and Andrew Gray, along with Andrew’s brother, Stephen Gray. (Mark Cox, the group’s third founding member, left in 1995 and is not on this album.) “This album arrived naturally and organically,” the band say. “The tracks came about from a measured process, and we feel A 2nd Shape is timely and essential. We also feel Downwards Records has fitted in perfectly with this process, their enthusiasm for this project has been tangible and encouraging.”

Artwork for the album was designed by Chris Bigg who worked with the late Vaughan Oliver of 23 Envelope / v23 on many classic 4AD album covers, including a few for The Wolfgang Press. A 2nd Shape is out September 27 via Downwards Records.

We recently wrote about The Wolfgang Press’ fantastic 1991 album, Queer, which took influence from De La Soul.

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A 2nd Shape
This Garden of Eden
21st Century
Sad Surfer
Take It Backwards
The 1st
Knock Knock
Reset Your Mind
The Line
Glacier