Simply Red will return with the new album ‘Time’ on May 26.
The Mick Hucknall-fronted band have unveiled their follow-up to 2019’s ‘Blue Eyed Soul’ and made a triumphant comeback with the lead single ‘Better With You’, which sees the singer reminisce about meeting his wife Gabriella – who he tied the knot with in 2010 – after living a life of debauchery.
Mick, 62, said of the track: “On the song itself, I’m reminiscing on phase one of the relationship with my wife, when we first met in Milan. At that time, I was single and just partying my way around the world. And I thought to myself: well, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I was just going along, having a right old time. It just stemmed from there.”
The 12-track LP spans “soul, funk, R+B and blues”.
The ‘Holding Back The Years’ hitmaker went on to explain how the COVID-19 lockdown made him realise he needed to get back to writing songs about himself.
He said: “When we were in lockdown, I went, well, jeez, who am I actually?
“What makes me tick? And I realised: you are a songwriter. So why don’t you write some songs about who you are? That’s really the essence of this album.”
Mick added: “Music is one of those wonderful communicators. Each and every person can have an interpretation of a song that can mean something to them. To be able to create something that is then shared with millions of people all over the world – what a joy. How can anything be more rewarding and fulfilling than that?”
The track-listing for ‘Time’ is:
1. ‘Better With You’
2. ‘Just Like You’
3. ‘Let Your Hair Down’
4. ‘Shades 22’
5. ‘It Wouldn’t Be Me’
6. ‘Never Be Gone’
7. ‘Too Long At The Fair’
8. ‘Slapbang’
9. ‘Hey Mister’
10. ‘Just Like You (Pt. 2)’
11. ‘Butterflies’
12. ‘Earth In A Lonely Space’