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Former Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci frontman Euros Childs has returned with the follow-up to last year’s solo effort Summer Special – a jaunty chamber pop anthology of British holidays and Avon ladies, played out as an 11-track melodrama.

Boasting an eclectic musical history spanning every genre from country to electronica throughout his 9-LP post-Gorky’s career, it’s always a mystery where the next Euros Childs record will take us. With Situation Comedy, as our recent review notes, there are musical nods to Ray Davies and Syd Barrett – but what’s most striking is the way each song forms a short story, mundane scenarios filtered through a beautifully idiosyncratic prism of perspective. “It’s all economics to me”, he sings, delivered with the knowing playfulness of Neil Hannon: ”are you ready for love?”.

As is often also the case with Hannon, though, there are sinister undertones to the whole thing, epitomised by the seemingly incongruous warning of “bodies beneath my ice rink” during the whimsical lead single, ‘Tête à Tête’. It’s an album of cinematic twists and turns, awash with dark tales concealed amongst perfect, jangly pop.

Stream Situation Comedy below, ahead of its 21 October release. Pre-order the record here.

Euros Childs will be playing the following UK dates:

October
24 – Liverpool, Leaf
25 – Sheffield, The Harley
26 – Manchester, The Roadhouse
27 – Leicester, Firebug
28 – Nottingham, The Maze
29 – Birmingham, The Hare and Hounds
30 – Oxford, The Wheatsheaf
31 – Reading, South Street Arts Centre

November
1 – London, Boston Arms
2 – Brighton, Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar
19 – Aberdeen, The Tunnels
20 – Dundee, Beat Generator Live
21 – Edinburgh, Cabaret Voltaire
22 – Glasgow, The Glad Cafe
23 – Newcastle, Star and Shadow
24 – Morecambe, More Music
25 – York, The Duchess
28 – Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
29 – Carmarthen, Tangled Parrot
30 – Bristol, Folk House