Waiting On A Train

A Certain Ratio are back, a new single out this week and an album called 1982 to follow in March next year. The single, Waiting On A Train, features the vocal talents of two ACR newcomers, both from Manchester- singer Ellen Beth Abdi and rapper Chunky. Ellen stepped into the space left by the sad loss of Denise Johnson (and it turns out is the daughter of a colleague of mine). The song shows a band who aren't content to rest on their post- punk laurels and repeat themselves. Waiting On A Train has a slow burning groove, funk bass and gritty guitar licks, wiggy synth squiggles and two very cool vocal parts, Ellen and Chunky taking turns to lead, Ellen's nonchalant, jazz tinged vocal and Chunky's laid back rap coming together around the refrain, 'It's so insane'. 

Th album follows next year. ACR say there are several reasons for calling the album 1982, none of which were steeped in nostalgia. Some the song titles - A Trip To Hulme, Tombo In M3 and Ballad Of ACR- do suggest a Manchester based record, no bad thing for band so connected to this city since the late 70s. Ellen appears on two more songs along with Emperor Machine (Andy Meecham). Last year ACR released three EPs, one of which featured collaborations with both Emperor Machine and Stretford's Chris Massey, dedicated to Andrew Weatherall. The track with Emperor Machine, titled Emperor Machine, was a masterclass in electronic funk, borrowing the stepped, punk funk rhythm from their own 1979 song Do The Du and updating it for now in fine style.