NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Pulp has returned with their first in 24 years. Who could've predicted that?
Not even the band, it turns out. 鈥淚t took us by surprise as well,鈥� dynamic frontman Jarvis Cocker told The Associated Press. 鈥淲hy not?鈥�
If there are casual Pulp fans, they don't make themselves known. The ambitious band emerged in the late-'70s in Sheffield, England, artistic outsiders with a penchant for the glam, grim, and in the case of Cocker, the gawky. Fame alluded them until the mid-'90s, and then it rushed in with the trend of
Their songs varied wildly from their contemporaries, like the recently reunited Blur and soon-to-be back together Instead, Pulp's synth-pop arrived with humor, ambiguity and intellect 鈥� songs about sex and class consciousness that manage to be groovy, glib, awkward and amorous all at once.
Then, and in the decades since, Pulp has inspired devotion from loyal fans across generations. They've charmed those lucky enough to catch band members in their heyday before a kind of careerism led to a hiatus in 2002 鈥� and those who saw them for the first time during reunion tours in 2011 and 2022. With all that reputation on the line, it's reassuring that the band has decided to give its audience 鈥淢ore,鈥� their first new album in over two decades.
Give them 鈥淢ore鈥�
There were a few catalysts for 鈥淢ore.鈥� The first: 鈥淲e could get along with each other still,鈥� jokes drummer Nick Banks. 鈥淚t wasn't too painful.鈥� The second: The band worked a new song into their recent reunion show run 鈥� 鈥淭he Hymn of the North,鈥� originally written for Simon Stephens鈥� 2019 play 鈥淟ight Falls鈥� 鈥� and people seemed to like it.
The third and most significant: The band's bassist and core member Steve Mackey died in 2023.
鈥淚t made me realize that you don't have endless amounts of time,鈥� Cocker says. 鈥淵ou've still got an opportunity to create things, if you want to. Are you going to give it a go?鈥�
And so, they did. Cocker assured his bandmates Banks, guitarist Mark Webber and keyboardist Candida Doyle that the recording process could be done quickly 鈥� in three weeks, lightspeed for a band that has infamously agonized over like 1998's 鈥淭his Is Hardcore.鈥� Webber describes a 鈥渞eticence to get involved in a yearslong process鈥� that was alleviated when they started to work on new songs which came 鈥渜uite easily.鈥�
That's at least partially due to the fact that, for the first time in the history of the band, Cocker elected to 鈥渨rite the words in advance. 鈥� It鈥檚 taken me until the age of 61 to realize it: If you write the words before you go into the studio, it makes it a much more pleasant experience.鈥�
The 11 tracks that make up 鈥淢ore鈥� are a combination of new and old songs written across Pulp's career. The late Mackey has a writing credit on both the sultry, existential 鈥淕rown Ups鈥� originally demoed around 鈥淭his Is Hardcore,鈥� and the edgy disco 鈥淕ot to Have Love,鈥� written around 鈥渢he turn of the millennium,鈥� as Cocker explains. 鈥淚 did have words, but I found myself emotionally unable to sing them.鈥�
鈥淲ithout love you鈥檙e just making a fool of yourself,鈥� he sings in the second verse. 鈥淚 got nothing else to say about it.鈥�
It makes sense, then, that the romantic song was held until 鈥淢ore,鈥� when Cocker believed them 鈥� coincidentally, after he was married in June of last year.
A pop band reflects
Maturation 鈥� the literality of growing up on 鈥淕rown Ups鈥� 鈥� is a prevalent theme on 鈥淢ore,鈥� delivered with age-appropriate insight. 鈥淚 was always told at school that I had an immature attitude. I just didn鈥檛 see any point in growing up, really. It seemed like all the fun was had by people when they were younger,鈥� said Cocker. 鈥淏ut, as I said on the back of the 鈥楾his Is Hardcore鈥� album, it's OK to grow up, as long as you don鈥檛 grow old. And I still agree with that, I think. Growing old is losing interest in the world and deciding that you鈥檙e not gonna change. You've done your bit and that's it. That doesn't interest me.鈥�
鈥淵ou have to retain an interest in the world and that keeps you alive,鈥� he adds. 鈥淪o, you grow up. And hopefully you live better, and you treat other people better. But you don't grow old.鈥�
In addition to 鈥淢ore,鈥� 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the song that defines their career, 鈥淐ommon People.鈥�
鈥淭hat one, we've never really fallen out of love with,鈥� says Webber.
鈥淏ecause of the way it affects people, really, you can't fall out of love with it,鈥� adds Cocker.
鈥淢ore,鈥� produced by James Ford arrives Friday. The band will immediately embark on a U.K. and North American tour. Then, who knows? Is this the beginning of a new, active era for the band?
鈥淭he next one is going to be called 鈥楨ven More,鈥欌�� Cocker jokes. 鈥淣ah, I don't know. The album wasn't conceived of as a tombstone. 鈥� The jury is out.鈥�
鈥淚t wouldn鈥檛 be good for it to end up feeling like you鈥檙e stuck on a treadmill,鈥� Banks adds. 鈥淎nd at the moment, it鈥檚 still pretty exciting.鈥�
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
