Candy Opera - The Patron Saint Of Heartache (2020)

Sometimes it takes a while to realize what you've got. So it goes with pop craftsmen Candy Opera, who emerged during Liverpool's 1980s golden age and whose new album The Patron Saint of Heartache is their first collection of new material in nearly three decades. Ahead of that, they presented "These Days Are Ours", a rally cry of hope for the current times and the first single from this long-player. Mixed by Grammy award-winning producer Guy Massey and featuring back vocals by Paul Simpson of The Wild Swans, the track was recorded at Elevator Studios in Liverpool. With all the hallmarks of an enduring pop anthem, this impeccably produced, adrenalin-fueled song captures the essence of Candy Opera's infectious energy and celebrates life with a genuine wonder-lust, whilst delivering the excitement of their live performances. Following the overdue release of two archival sets -- 45 Revolutions Per Minute and Rarities (released in 2018 by Firestation Records) -- their new album The Patron Saint of Heartache picks up where the band left off, with 14 fresh songs ready for discovery of a sound as timeless as any Candy Opera output. Candy Opera were formed in Liverpool in 1982 and went through various incarnations before calling it a day in 1992. By 1985, the band had played alongside the likes of The Pogues, The Go-Betweens, and The Redskins, as well as appearing on Granada TV. The band's current line-up is drawn from all eras of the band's existence and features Brian Chin Smithers (guitar, vocals), Alan Currie (drums), Frank Mahon (bass), Paul Malone (vocals, guitar), Ken Moss (guitar) and Gary O'Donnell (keyboards, vocals, percussion). This new LP also features a swathe of friends and contemporaries, including Paul Simpson (The Wild Swans) and Phil Jones (Afraid of Mice). The result is an exquisite piece of pop craftsmanship that brings their songs into the light. This is a labor of love born of experience, but retaining the sense of wonder that brought the band together in the first place. "When Candy Opera first appeared on the kaleidoscopic early 1980s Liverpool music scene, by rights they should have changed the world" --Louder Than War "Very welcome news as a highly underrated band who is now back with a force. While their previous output is stellar, this new single is even more commanding of attention. This is absolutely stunning, the band reaching higher than ever before."