The The have shared their new single, “Linoleum Smooth to the Stockinged Foot,” as the second preview of Ensoulment, their first new album in nearly 25 years. Stream it below.
“Linoleum Smooth to the Stockinged Foot” was written by The The’s mastermind Matt Johnson in his hospital bed while in a morphine haze recovering from a life-saving operation. Haunting and at times disorienting, the instrumental embodies Johnson’s experience thanks to improvised contributions from guest musicians Sonya Cullingford (fiddle), Terry Edwards (horns), Gillian Glover (backing vocals), and Danny Cummings (percussion).
The track’s accompanying visual treatment ties it all together with an extreme close-up of Johnson’s face as he sings, “The weak are despised by the wealthy/ Endlessly nudged to scrub their hands/ To bang their pots and beat their pans.” Watch the Tim Pope-directed video below.
Out on September 6th, Ensoulment will be supported by an international tour beginning in the UK and Europe in late August. The North American leg will feature stops in Atlanta, New York, Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, and more. Get tickets here.