Modern English have released their latest single, “Crazy Lovers,” from their forthcoming album 1 2 3 4.
Pairing a soundscape of guitars and keyboards with a mid-tempo beat, “Crazy Lovers” is colored by its new wave arrangement, which manages to evoke the nostalgia of the band’s early days while staying fresh. Lyrically, the tune describes getting lost in the whirlwind of life and love, building into the refrain: “You crazy lovers you step above us/ I still don’t know what time it is I still don’t know what day it is/ And then we listen to sound it all goes round and round.”
Modern English recorded 1 2 3 4 with producer Mario J. McNulty (David Bowie, Lou Reed, Nine Inch Nails), and according to the band’s Robbie Grey, McNulty was the secret ingredient for “Crazy Lovers.” “Originally it was a very slow song that the producer Mario J McNulty suggested we speed right up,” Grey said. “It was a great idea and gives it a lot of life, energy as well as a cool groove.”
1 2 3 4 is Modern English’s first album since 2016’s Take Me To The Trees, and is due “in early 2024,” with no specified release date at this time. Pre-orders are ongoing. In September, the band shared another single from the album: “Long in the Tooth.”
1 2 3 4 was recorded in the fall of 2022, directly after Modern English wrapped the 40th anniversary tour for their album, After the Snow.