The Durutti Column - Renascent - London
After several recent-ish reissues of the elegiac Factory Records outfit's lush (and expansive) back-catalogue (and somewhat against all the odds), there's finally a new Durutti Column album to get excited about. Reilly, Mitchell and Stewart's first full-length opus of new material for 17 years comes in various different formats, but it doesn't matter which pressing you choose because Renascent shimmers and glistens as effortlessly as you could want.
First things first, the CD carries an extra track, the currently-ironic All They See Is Fire (recorded long before the 2026 heatwaves) which is neither ground-breaking in Durutti terms, nor is it forgettable enough to be pugged away (somewhat unfairly) as a bonus - it's rather special. In fact so special that it could have replaced the only expendable track on the actual disc proper. That track is Scammer. It's a rambling earthy experiment which, recalls the days when long-time friend Tony Wilson encouraged Vini to cease singing - here, it just doesn't sit with the rest of what is an otherwise faultless set.
For some undeniable and more familiar beauty, head straight to Sargasso Sea, Time Present and Time Past and Your Shadow at Morning. The first song features the folksy velveteen vocals of previous collaborator Caoilfhionn Rose and rivals other previous DC ballads like Tomorrow, Missing Boy and Sing To Me for lachrymosity. TPATP twinkles prettily a little like a Philip Glass and Mark Peters collab (if such a thing existed), while YSAM is a homely theme for Bob and Paul Gone Fishing in any just world (that's a big compliment, btw).
Rose appears again on the dreamy, woozy Agonistes, drummer Bruce Mitchell profers some neat motorik snarework on the insistent Your Shadow At Evening, turning it into something resembling an edgy jam between the two key original DC stalwarts, and lead single Liars pulsates pleasingly within the boundaries of "good music to chill out to".
Techie Kier Stewart's contributions range from dogged determination to produce something worthy of adding to the band's legacy and curating including creating a stunning string-driven reworking (and retitling) of old favourite, For Belgian Friends (originally an obscure but brilliant session piece recorded with A Certain Ratio's Donald Johnson and Factory's maverick producer Martin Hannett). The whole peerless experience has been co-ordinated with long-time associate James Nice with a sleeve from crack design team 8VO. And yes, there's plenty of Reilly's creative wizardry to satiate the hunger of the most demanding Durutti diehards.
At the time of writing, Renascent had deservedly reached no. 54 in the Official Album Chart and 1 in the Independent Chart. Long may this run continue - it's been overdue!
★★★★★★★★★☆
