Artists who saw their biggest success three decades ago are enjoying a genuine renaissance—though few more triumphantly than Pulp. Their sublime new James Ford–produced album “More” arrives 24 years after their last full-length, “We Love Life”, and stands as arguably their strongest work since the iconic “Different Class” from 1995. Primary songwriter Jarvis Cocker remains a master of narrative lyricism, pairing sly wit with poignant observations about life’s smallest details and heaviest burdens.
“I was born to do this / shouting and pointing,” Jarvis Cocker sings on the opening track of Pulp’s first album in 24 years. Cocker has continued to make shouting and pointing an art form in his post-Pulp projects, but somehow it all just hits better when he’s with the band that made him famous in the ’90s. There are plenty of expectations attached to a comeback record, and Pulp managed to over-deliver, mixing great new songs with a couple of unused oldies polished to perfection, alongside lots of signature moves — sexy whispering, horny lyrics, disco — and a few surprises. (When Jarvis drops a raised-eyebrow “are you sure?” during “Grown Ups,” it’s fan service in the best possible way.) A lot has happened since the last Pulp album, including the death of bassist Steve Mackey in 2023, which ultimately led to the creation of “More” as part of a “choose happiness wherever you are” outlook Jarvis has since adopted.
That brings wistful ruminations on mortality, filtered through Cocker’s distinctive worldview, but also an ease, camaraderie, and sense of fun that has been largely missing from Pulp records since “Different Class”. “I am not aging, I am just ripening,” Jarvis sings later on “Grown Ups,” adding, “and life’s too short to drink bad wine.”
“More” has already aged well in the six months since its release, and it deserves to be savoured.
Now nearing senior-citizen status, his musings carry the ache of aging, tempered by the clarity of experience, all of which is delivered with his signature sauciness. Reflecting the album’s maximalist title, Cocker and core bandmates Mark Webber, Candida Doyle, and Nick Banks have expanded to a nine-piece, incorporating strings, electronics, and auxiliary percussion. These additions fill out the band’s live sound and elevate “More”, lending the album a richness and polish that’s as sleek as Pulp has ever sounded. From the Bowie-esque grandeur of “Partial Eclipse” to the disco-Western flair of “Got to Have Love,” the wistful “Spike Island” to the cheeky, self-referential “Tina,” Pulp are back with a vengeance—and how we’ve missed them.
The Fat Angel Sings 