{"title":"Black Lead","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"night-walks","title":"Night Walks","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eNight Walks\u003c\/i\u003e is the brand new glittering, nocturnal album from Sarah Nixey. Written whilst struggling with insomnia, the songs are set in a metropolitan sub-world where everyone dodges the dangers of reality. The lyrics describe episodes that take place over one night, spanning several decades, in a tiny enclave, at the heart of London's bohemia. \u003ci\u003eNight Walks \u003c\/i\u003eis a modern, sophisticated album, rooted in classic record making. Nixey won over audiences as the singer of darkly glamorous pop group Black Box Recorder at the turn of the 21st Century, along with fellow band members Luke Haines (The Auteurs) and John Moore (The Jesus and Mary Chain). For this new album, Nixey made a conscious decision to move away from her previous solo work by not focusing solely on electro pop or the live instrumentation approach. This time, she wanted to use a blend of electronica and classic 1970s analogue recording. The songs in \u003ci\u003eNight Walks\u003c\/i\u003e, like Nixey's previous solo albums, are full of characters who are often either hanging on or slipping away. She explores themes such as mental health illness (\u003ci\u003eComing Up For Air\u003c\/i\u003e talks of teenage mental health illness and parental love - as Sarah notes it’s “the antithesis of Black Box Recorder’s Child Psychology”, and \u003ci\u003eBurning Bridges\u003c\/i\u003e), England at war (\u003ci\u003eThe Zeppelin\u003c\/i\u003e – set in war torn England with Queen of Bohemia Nina Hamnett watching a Zeppelin go up in flames, along with the love of her life, and \u003ci\u003eMerry England\u003c\/i\u003e about post-war slum clearances and lose of community) and night time adventures with mid twentieth century London bohemians (\u003ci\u003eTiger Woman, Neon Moon\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eFollow Me\u003c\/i\u003e – about the allure of nightlife and drunken escapism). With whip smart lyrics and an ear for an adventurous avant-pop tune, it’s Sarah’s captivating voice that truly mesmerises. Alternating between a soft whisper, rhythmic talking and full-blown soprano, she manages to encapsulate inky dark nights bathed in a neon-glow, full of desperation, mystery and passion.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Lead","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50497999372619,"sku":"1044517","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50497999634763,"sku":"1044518","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/de196e6f-a0c1-4b3c-bf45-4589056c7e6a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727736318"},{"product_id":"sea-fever","title":"Sea Fever","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormerly one third of the much-loved trio Black Box Recorder, alongside The Auteurs’ Luke Haines and Jesus and Mary Chain guitarist John Moore, the British singer-songwriter Sarah Nixey has steadily gained acclaim as a solo artist who makes savvy, sophisticated and poised pop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDelivering vocals with a detached elegance over opulent tracks, any perceived nonchalance in Nixey’s luxe, cut glass voice belies her empathy, where social commentary serves as protest, both explicit and implied. Like Billy Bragg deepfaked as prime Julie Andrews, this strange but effective juxtaposition radiates soft power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘Lies of the Land’ depicts a corrupt post-Brexit and Covid-19 world where inequality and division flourish. ‘England's On Fire’ delves into the nuanced concepts of patriotism and nationalism, and ‘Pleasure Bay’ narrates the story of a love affair with a deprived yet beautiful English seaside town, written after Nixey left London, drawn back to the Dorset coast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore than just a political record though, Nixey was drawn to the poetic elements of living too, telling stories of life and death, love and loss, conflicts and symmetry, in an intimate and close-up way, as if whispering secrets to her listeners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sea Fever explores the bittersweet beauty of human life amid a volatile world of changing seasons and brutal elements,” says Nixey. “These are songs of deep sorrow, remembrance, birth, and change, set against a backdrop of the sensuous natural world.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘Rolling Waves’ explores profound grief following her beloved grandmother's death, while ‘Spring Equinox’ celebrates the joy and awe of life after welcoming her first grandchild. ‘At the Edge of the Forest’ is a poignant story of someone losing their memory, and ‘On This Wide Night’ recounts the early hours return home of a teenage runaway.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Black Lead","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":56064867893579,"sku":"R1482-4379","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56064867926347,"sku":"R1482-8597","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/SarahNixey-SeaFever.jpg?v=1765206390"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/fr\/collections\/black-lead.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}