The Cribs have announced a new album, their first since the departure of former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. In the Belly of the Brazen Bull will be released by Wichita Records on 8 May.
The Yorkshire band have unveiled the LP's first taster, a song called Chi-Town, dedicated to the city where much of the album was made. In the Belly of the Brazen Bull was partly recorded at Chicago's Electrical Audio studio with celebrated engineer Steve Albini. Other sessions took place in New York and at London's Abbey Road with Flaming Lips/MGMT producer Dave Fridmann.
The Cribs' most recent album was 2009's Ignore the Ignorant, which reached No 8 in the UK charts. That record was the first to feature Marr, who also toured with the Cribs. Marr quit the band last spring, saying he was proud of their work together but wanted to focus on his solo career. "There were definite intentions of continuing on together and making another record," the band said, "but it just wasn't really working."
The group will celebrate the new album's release with a short UK tour, beginning in Nottingham on 7 May. They have also booked a North American tour in April. Three UK shows in February and March have already sold out.
