FAINT WAVES

My favorite Pulp records, followed by their new outing, More.

I decided to pen this little editorial on a whim. I’m a fan of Pulp; they found me in college, and while I liked what I heard, I wasn’t completely ready for it. It wouldn’t be until my 20’s that they well and truly clicked. Now, for those in the know and those unaware, Pulp have returned. Yes, the English rock band that paved the way for Alternative Rock, Britpop, and Indie Pop of all kinds, the very same. Born in 1978, without a commercial breakthrough until the 90’s, they’re back with new music now in 2025. This long-awaited return didn’t happen overnight either; the band spent over a decade broken up, came back between 2011 and 2013 for some live shows and one single (an unfinished tune that went all the way back to 2001), and then hung it up again. The band wouldn’t appear again for nearly 10 years, until they once again reunited in 2022. Now, Pulp is back, and if the singles are any indication? They’re poised to return with what could be their strongest album since Different Class (or at least since This Is Hardcore). I know, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but allow me to express my enthusiasm for the new singles.

“Spike Island”, in many respects, is classic Pulp. At least in terms of what they sounded like at the time of their mainstream breakthrough. A breakthrough, I might add, that set the stage for swathes of other musicians and had a lot to say about life, love, sex, and society of the time. This sound, it’s a modernization; a slightly thicker, rounder update to their mid-90’s sound. Wide drums carry classic Farfisa organ work from Candida Doyle, with Power Pop guitars, and a trademark Jarvis Cocker croon. The song isn’t revolutionary, nor is it a pale imitation; it’s just a rock-solid reminder of who we’re dealing with. This is Pulp, with a song about Pulp, and it feels like they’re glad to be back. There are themes of purpose, the passage of time, losing your way and finding it again (though not without some hardship along the way). It’s romantic, not in the traditional sense, but in a reverent sort of way. It feels like a new perspective on what was maybe a tumultuous or even chaotic time, perhaps in regards to Pulp’s breakthrough or even the entire music scene they were wading through in the mid-to-late 90’s. The second single off the album tackles similar lyrical motifs, albeit with a touch more depth, and maybe even something to say about how we govern ourselves. 

That second single, “Got To Have Love” is an uptempo Disco ballad that slightly recalls “F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.” off of Different Class, though that track reads a bit more like “Feeling Called Lust” compared to this one. This song not only sets itself apart from the mildly reminiscent “Spike Island”, it features some of the most poignant pop lyrics Pulp has had since the 90’s, and has a truly impassioned performance from Jarvis Cocker. Jarvis sounds incredibly strong (even better than he did on “Spike Island”) at over 60 years old now. There’s an enthusiasm, a zeal to the music, and the vocal delivery. From the belting chorus to the spoken-word, call-and-response bridge, these are quintessential Jarvis Cocker vocal theatrics. It’s familiar, but it’s fresh; it’s very obviously new. Again, this isn’t an act of yore just spinning its wheels in the studio for another shot at the limelight. This is Pulp doing what Pulp does best, with energy and renewed passion, sprinkling in a bit of the old and trying something new too. This number is not only a wonderful song that’s sure to be a live firecracker, but also a lyrically intelligent critique of the self, and how love is everything. Here’s an excerpt from the bridge that I want to draw attention to…

When love disappears, life disappears
And you sit on your backside for twenty-five years
And you hedge your bets
And twist and bust
And try and fail and work on an album and build a jail
And lock yourself away
From the one thing
The one thing that could save you
And the one thing that scares you to death
The only thing that could bring you back to life

I highlight that because it comes off as much a metaphor for emotional avoidance as it does a biographical allusion to Jarvis/Pulp/any number of musicians. One thing this song seems to have in common with the previous single, “Spike Island”, is that there’s some rumination on purpose, life as a musician, and what that means for a person as time goes on. When you take this sort of writing at face value, though, I find it to be a great commentary on the ease of isolation in the modern day. So often now, we’re quick to throw up walls. People do it under the guise of ambition, trivial pursuits, and attempts at self-discovery. The reality, more often than not, is that they’re voluntarily entering a prison of their own making. A self-imposed “safe space”, a normalized state of selfishness where they are comfortably numb, where they do not have to face so much of the discomfort, sadness, and hurt of reality. Some of the worst cases rejecting the notion of mental, physical, and emotional intimacy simply on the basis of self-preservation. Increasingly, we’re walling ourselves off from sincerity, connection, and warmth. We seem hellbent on avoiding the one thing that could help us at all: love.

My point? I think Pulp still have something to say as a band (speaking of something to say, they used A.I for the “Spike Island” video, only to turn around at the end of it and address the importance of “human intelligence”), some clever commentary on socio-political culture, just as they did with His ‘n’ Hers and Different Class. The only difference is that now they are part of the commentary; the benefit of age and burden of legacy have cemented Pulp as a cultural touchstone and they’re expertly navigating those treacherous waters with their glorious return. It’s evident that the band is back because the stars aligned and they were ready to be back, a natural progression after years apart, and years back together. This does not feel like a nostalgia act making the rounds, rather it is a self-aware band doing what they do best, and acknowledging the state of affairs they find themselves in. As only they can.

More, the new album by Pulp, is out next Friday: June 6th, 2025.

~ FW.