May 19, 2024

Skylight Webzine

Online since 2000

Liverpool band The Room in the Wood unleash an inspiring new album

3 min read

Liverpool-based The Room in the Wood present their new album ‘We’re The Martians, Now’. 12 genre-bending tracks wisping you through sounds recalling The Doors, Nick Drake, The Fall, Burt Bacarach, Echo & The Bunneymen and The Velvet Underground.

This LP features ace drumming by Colin George Lamont (Mark Lanegan, Dave Gahan), charming flute by Simon James and heavenly backing vocals by Helena Jacks. Recorded and mixed by Steve Powell (Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band) at his Liverpool-based Ark Studios, it was mastered byPete Maher (Barry Adamson, The Alarm).

This was previewed by two singles – ‘Charmed’, a beautiful Burt Bacharach-esque ballad about the elite of our society – a timely message given the growing disparity seen in the UK and elsewhere, and ‘Fun of The Fair’ with stomping beats, nods to glam rock, name-checking T-Rex, 70s reminiscence and youth gang flair – all the right ingredients for a 3 minute POP song!

The videos for both songs were created by the wonderful Mark Jordan, who set things in scene. The ‘Charmed’ video also features footage of Dave Jackson and Paul Cavanagh, filmed by Sarah Ryan.

At its core, The Room in the Wood is Paul Cavanagh and Dave Jackson, who are once again working together after a huge gap since their post-punk band The Room split back in 1985. This past year has been highly prolific for them, writing 30+ new songs, putting out three releases, issuing four videos, and performing live.

This album follows their the band’s sci-fi inspired ‘Mars EP’, released in late 2018. Prior to this, the Liverpool outfit released their debut album ‘The Room in the Wood’ and the ‘Magical Thinking’ EP earlier that same year.

Dave Jackson has been writing and recording since his teens – with The Room, 051, Benny Profane, Dust, Dead Cowboys, as Dave Jackson & The Cathedral Mountaineers, and also with former Shack guitarist John Head. He has recorded and released 10 albums with these various incarnations, notched up 7 John Peel sessions with The Room and Benny Profane, and has also appeared on the Whistle Test, Janice Long and Saturday Live.

Jackson has also toured the UK, Europe and the USA extensively with The Fall, The Violent Femmes, Aztec Camera, The Lemonheads and The Wedding Present. He currently teaches creative writing at Liverpool John Moores University and has developed his novel ‘Violet City’ as a low-budget fantasy feature film.  

Paul Cavanagh has performed as a solo instrumentalist as Cabin in the Woods and as one of Mike Badger’s Shady Trio. He worked with The Room drummer Alan Wills at Deltasonic Records with The Coral and The Zutons. Paul has also recorded 4 John Peel sessions and released albums with Top, It’s Immaterial, Moongoose, as well as critically acclaimed singles with Gloss. He also played guitar for Chinese Religion, The Balcony and Ludus.  

As of April 10,’We’re The Martians, Now’ will be available across music stores and streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. It will be released on coloured vinyl and CD, as well as digitally, and can be ordered via Bandcamp.

TRACK LIST
01. Diamond Clouds
02. Mars (Won’t Save Us)
03. Stowaway
04. Blue
05. We’re the Martians, now
06. Shimmer
07. Fun of the Fair
08. Charmed
09. Dragonfly
10. Halloween Lies
11. Under the Waterfall
12. The Earth is Flat

Bandcamp https://theroominthewood.bandcamp.com/album/were-the-martians-now
‘Fun of The Fair’ https://youtu.be/ eMVxyuR-QAA
‘Charmed’ video https://youtu.be/RRRdJuB1wfg
Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/user-184628920/fun-of-the-fair/s-6Rewa 
‘Charmed’ https://soundcloud.com/user-184628920/the-room-in-the-wood-charmed

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