{"id":27174,"date":"2017-05-06T08:08:15","date_gmt":"2017-05-06T07:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=27174"},"modified":"2017-07-07T09:39:52","modified_gmt":"2017-07-07T08:39:52","slug":"a-big-day-in-the-north-manc-legends-black-grape-return-with-first-album-in-20-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2017\/05\/a-big-day-in-the-north-manc-legends-black-grape-return-with-first-album-in-20-years\/","title":{"rendered":"A BIG DAY IN THE NORTH – Manc Legends Black Grape Return With First Album in 20 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Black Grape<\/strong> are back with their first album since 1997’s\u00a0Stupid, Stupid Stupid<\/strong>.<\/em><\/h4>\n

Pop Voodoo<\/em><\/strong>, the third studio LP\u00a0by the band led by Happy<\/strong>\u00a0Mondays<\/strong> frontman\u00a0Shaun Ryder and rapper Paul “Kermit” Leveridge, will be released on July 7.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The duo have teamed up with star producer\u00a0Youth <\/strong>for the project, which will be Ryder’s first major release of new material since the 2007 Monday’s album\u00a0Uncle\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Dysfunctional<\/i><\/b><\/i>.<\/p>\n

By way of a teaser, the band have shared the opening track of the album which sees Donald Trump<\/strong> firmly in their lyrical cross hairs.<\/p>\n

Featuring Ryder’s typical acid wit\u00a0and scattergun social commentary, the funky Everything You\u00a0Know<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0Is Wrong – Intro\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>(see below), sees the Manc street philosopher spouting off about everything from healthcare to the president’s\u00a0lustrous blond barnet.<\/p>\n

Looser, if that’s possible, and even grittier than the Mondays, Black Grape will be hoping to repeat the success of their platinum-selling debut album\u00a0It\u2019s Great When You\u2019re Straight\u2026 Yeah<\/strong><\/em>, which went straight to the top of the charts in 1995.<\/p>\n

Now “relatively fit and healthy,” according to the band’s website<\/a>, after his numerous drug addictions, Ryder says the new record was put together fast.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a great time making the album – we wrote, recorded and mixed it within four weeks,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Ex-Ruthless Rap Assassin<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0Kermit, promises some serious vocal duels between the pair, describing the album as\u00a0\u201cMe and Shaun eyeball to eyeball”.<\/p>\n