Burning Rope - Burning Rope (2025)

"Burning Rope" is the self-titled debut album by British supergroup Burning Rope, released on October 11, 2025.

The band's origins are deeply emotional. The band was founded by Paul Long (keyboardist for the award-winning British blues-rock band Catfish) after the tragic loss of his 29-year-old son, Matt Long (frontman of the same band), to cancer. Paul's desire to continue living and creating music united a group of strong musicians from the British scene around him.

"Burning Rope" is a classic, old-school album, recorded with an emphasis on live studio interaction, complex arrangements, and profound lyricism. The songs range from personal tragedy and reflection (the song "Landslide" directly addresses Paul's experiences during his son's illness) to cinematic stories.

The album's music is very spacious, leaving plenty of room for instrumental passages, improvisations, and smooth tempo changes. The release's true highlights are its original, weighty cover versions: the band created a powerful blues-rock cover of Elton John's ballad "Have Mercy On The Criminal," and also recorded an unexpected version of the synth-pop hit "Tainted Love" (in the style of Soft Cell), transforming it into a lazy, languid blues.