An Hour of Bliss and Many Hours of Sadness

This COULD be the title of Tracey Thorn's new album for '08, according to her latest blog. When reading out chapter headings in Thomas Hardy's Return of the Native as if they were Morrissey song titles (very true, especially He Is Set Upon by Adversities, But He Sings a Song), it was the last one, An Hour of Bliss and Many Hours of Sadness which Ewan Pearson, her producer, said summed up her entire songwriting career. And that tickled Tracey so much she may just use it.

Musically, the album "won't be heading for the dancefloor". Whatevs. La Thorn could sing on a death metal record and I'd still buy it. It's also her intention to be a lot more prolific with her musical output. She got all fired up by the creative success of last year's Out of the Woods, "I love being in the studio, and writing songs, and tinkering about with arrangement ideas, and singing the backing vocals late at night". Going through a "'Berlin period', whatever that means" whilst recording with Ewan (pictured left), she says the record is "taking some kind of shape". It's great that she also seems to be keeping her promise of being more prolific and keeping fans up to date with the comings and going: "I will try not to disappear again for seven years or so without so much as a by your leave". Cheers, Trace!

Until the new material, here's a couple of fab remixes to keep you going.

King's Cross (Hot Chip Remix) - Tracey Thorn (zShare)
- this is more like a brand new cover of the original cover of the PSB track; an amazing effort by Hot Chip.

It's All True (Escort Remix) - Tracey Thorn (zShare)
- for all of Escort's retro sound, they actually give this track an Everything But the Girl makeover. It's Watt Ben would have wanted: meaty, beaty, big and bouncy.

Go to HerSpace for a too-cute drawing by Jean Watt (aged 9) of her mum.