The Britpop veterans return: Pulp with a new album after a 24-year break

More light. More love. More words. More sound. More energy. More beauty. More time. More songs. You want "more, more, more" from your beloved bands. That they keep going forever, keep plugging in their guitars, keep opening their mouths: "One, two, three, four..." Break or disbandment – ​​these are the worst words for fans, because they mean the end of "more."

These could have been exciting decades for Pulp, the Britpop giants from Sheffield. But for 24 years, there was (almost) nothing. They played concerts in 2011 and 2012, and the download single "After You" came out in 2013. In the lyrics of the song, singer Jarvis Cocker held the door open for Pulp fans on the train. "After you—I insist," he sang. And—ha!—we got off, and he continued on alone.

Cocker subsequently pursued solo work and collaborations – with Canadian Chilly Gonzales and with the new band Jarv Is. Today (May 6) sees the release of Pulp's eighth album, recorded in three weeks under the direction of James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Fontaines DC). It's called "More." Wish granted?

"Spike Island come alive!" shouts Cocker. The song "Spike Island" is a truly dazzling opening to the comeback album. With its slow, wavy disco beat à la Blondie's "Heart of Glass," this is a song of the caliber of Pulp's greatest hits—"Common People" and "Disco 2000."

In the chorus, Cocker's exalted, Bowie-esque voice recalls the 1990 Stone Roses concert on the former monastery island in Cork Bay, which is considered the big bang of Britpop. "I was born / to perform!" he sings. And—perhaps that's not self-irony for once, but a promise: "This time I'll do it right."

With the return of Pulp, Cocker, keyboardist Candida Doyle, guitarist/keyboardist Mark Webber, and drummer Nick Banks, the great bands of melodic 1990s Britpop are all back in the mix: Oasis will embark on a world tour with their oldies (at rip-off ticket prices) starting in July. Blur will release a new album in 2023, and Suede reunited in 2013; their most recent album dates back to 2022.

Pulp is the oldest of the four, having formed in 1978, when the energy of punk had just combined with the mass appeal of pop, and new acts as well as established bands were embracing the cool new wave. Jarvis Cocker was 14 or 15 at the time and knew that making music made you feel like an invincible bunch, and that girls were attracted to guys who played in bands. In the 1980s, the Pulp musicians were still making records in the shadow of synthpop bands and rock legends turned stadium acts. Britpop plucked them from that shadow in the 1990s.

Sonically, "More" is more of the same. Pulp sounds pulpissimo, which is primarily due to Cocker's distinctive, alternately tremulous or gently quivering baritone. The sonic spectrum ranges from powerful, danceable pop-rockers like "Got to Have Love" to the ambient spoken word of "Farmers Market." On the slow-funk "My Sex," with its dark guitar twangs, the singer's whispering is reminiscent of Leonard Cohen's hymns.

And "Partial Eclipse," with its chilling violin and dark guitar chords, could have come from the soundtrack of a mystery series. It's about the futile wait for the return of a true love. Without her, the first-person narrator "returns to assisted living / the central heating runs sporadically. / I search for a clean cup, / wearing a safe cardigan / and odd socks." A gloomy character, but you can hear Cocker's chuckle through these lines.

Bands that have been put on ice for a long time can deteriorate when they thaw out. If the creative hiatus is too long, the audience's longing for more is accompanied by the fear that the legend could be damaged. The three "new" songs released by the Beatles so far, after "Let It Be" (1970) and the split of the supergroup, were far below the "Hey Jude" standard and quickly forgotten. The biggest sensation about Abbas's pleasant album "Voyage" (2021) was that something was released at all 40 years after the great "The Visitors" (1981). The anticipation of comeback music is accompanied by sadness alongside the high expectations. How much missed can fit into 24 years?

During the coronavirus pandemic, Cocker's long-term relationship was on hold, his writing became intellectually blocked, and his songs lacked life. "I suppose that was the beginning of my exploration of... feelings," says the 61-year-old. As a creative person, you can "remain very immature for quite a long time." "But if you want to stay creative, you have to take the time to grow up." The muses returned.

And so, on "More," Cocker tells a story both rich in detail and entertainingly of the passing of time, the thorns on the soul of missed opportunities, the loss of love, and the realization that "more" in terms of life is impossible, that comebacks are only permitted to people like Jesus. The lonely protagonist of the sultry pulp slinky "Slow Jam" wants to initiate a conversation with Jesus about "slow dying." The savior admits to being an expert on this very topic, but would rather talk about something else. So, for the time being, his conversation partner resorts to a "slow jam," a sensual romp with "me, you, and my imagination." In "Tina"—a reggae-pop mix—the first-person narrator pants one night for a childhood sweetheart he never dared to speak to.

"Hurry up, because when it comes to sex, our time is running out," sings Cocker in "My Sex." Libido, always a staple of Pulp songs, insists 14 years after "After You" that Cocker get out before her. To the marching beat of "Grown Ups," the journey takes us to the planet of old age, where everyone is having a good time, but where forgetfulness soon sets in. The planet of youth is unattainable. "We couldn't go back, there was no more fuel in the rocket," sings Cocker. And he laments, "The sun's setting, and we haven't even had lunch yet."

Pulp bassist Steven Mackay died of a cerebral hemorrhage in March 2023 at the age of 56, which, according to Cocker, was one of the reasons why Pulp resumed concerts the following May and why the album—dedicated to Mackay—was created. "When people so close to you leave, you realize that you yourself are still alive," explains Cocker. "And that you still have the opportunity to create." With the new songs, he achieves contemporary relevance for Pulp—something that nostalgia act Oasis can only dream of. Cocker was also helped by Jarv-Is members Andrew McKinney (bass), Emma Smith (violin/guitar), Adam Betts (percussion/keyboard), Jason Buckle (synthesizer), and string arranger Richard Jones.

During the lockdown, Cocker moved to rural Derbyshire to find new perspectives—surrounded by nature. There, he found himself "surrounded by a landscape that never changes. You know you're going to die, but the landscape will still look pretty much the same as it does now. It grounds you."

As did love. Love returned to him and also liked the new songs. In 2024, Cocker married his longtime girlfriend, Kim Sion. He proposed in a traffic jam in West London near Shepherd's Bush, and the wedding took place in a traditional circus. A happy ending like something out of a Pulp song. There will be more of those before the next 24 years are up.

New album: Pulp – “More” (Rough Trade) – released on June 6