After more than two decades, Pulp are back with More – a record that’s sharp, strange, and beautifully sincere. Here’s what we’re loving about it so far.
It’s been 24 years since Pulp last released a full-length studio album – but with More, it feels like they never really left.
Plenty of artists reunite after long breaks. Fewer manage to sound this alive. This engaged. This necessary.
In the years since 2001’s We Love Life, musical trends have come and gone, but the distinct gap Pulp left behind – that mix of northern wit, social observation, poetic sleaze, and kitchen-sink drama – has remained stubbornly unfilled. Now, at last, we get More. And it delivers on every count.
This isn’t a nostalgia album. It’s a record that knows its age and wears it well – wry, sincere, and pulsing with a kind of reflective clarity that only comes with experience. According to Jarvis Cocker, the songs poured out after the band reunited for live shows in 2023. The track Hymn of the North, first debuted at Sheffield Arena, opened the floodgates – and the rest of the album followed swiftly in early 2024.
More was recorded over just three weeks in Walthamstow with James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Simian Mobile Disco) at the controls. It’s the fastest a Pulp album has ever come together – and you can feel that urgency in every track.
We’ve been spinning it all morning, and we’re thrilled to have a limited batch of the Indies Only Blue Sky Thinking vinyl in store. But before you pop in for a copy (and a coffee), here are five standout moments from More – plus one that took us by surprise.
1. The Opener (‘Spike Island’) Sets the Scene with a Snarl and a Sigh
The album kicks off with Spike Island – and it’s an instant mood-setter. There’s a slinky bassline, a slightly surreal tone, and Jarvis’s voice weaving between spoken word and song, pulling you into a world that’s both familiar and freshly disorienting.
It’s confident and loose at the same time. There’s a swagger, sure – but also a sense of something deeper stirring underneath. A slightly jaded cool. A story you’re not sure you fully understand, but want to keep following.
It’s a statement of intent: this isn’t Pulp chasing their past – it’s Pulp carrying it forward.
2. Jarvis, Still Jarvis
The man hasn’t lost his touch. If anything, he’s sharper – less snarky, more surgical. His lyrics oscillate between hilariously mundane and quietly profound, often in the space of a single verse.
In Grown Ups, he sings, “I’ll be the dad and you be the mum / And we’ll make out we know what we’ve done” – a perfect distillation of midlife disorientation in ten words. This line captures the essence of pretending to have adulthood figured out, a theme that resonates throughout the album.
And somehow, it never feels try-hard. That’s the real magic.
3. ‘The Hymn of the North’ Feels Like the Heart of the Album
This is the track that started it all – first played during the Sheffield Arena show, and now fully realised at the album’s close. And it’s stunning.
Musically, it’s expansive. There’s a sense of space and movement, with strings arranged by Richard Jones (Pulp’s bassist) and played by the Elysian Collective. Lyrically, it feels like a love letter – to the North, to memory, to loss, to resilience. There’s warmth in it. Pride, even.
It’s also the track that grounds the album’s dedication: More is dedicated to Steve Mackey, Pulp’s longtime bassist and key collaborator, who passed away in 2023. There’s something deeply poignant about ending on this note – not with bombast, but with a gentle, luminous kind of honour.
4. The Production is Crisp, Clever and Full of Personality
Recorded over three weeks with James Ford, the album sounds both fresh and lived-in. There’s no glossy sheen. It’s detailed, but not overworked. You can hear the chemistry – the band clicking into something fast and instinctive.
Some songs are sparse and shadowy (Slow Jam, Background Noise), while others groove with an unexpected lightness (Got to Have Love has something like joy tucked between the beats). There’s even a disco-tinged edge on My Sex, with guest contributions from the Eno family on backing vocals – yes, those Enos.
The whole thing sounds like it was made quickly, but not carelessly. Jarvis has said, “It was obviously ready to happen.” And it shows.
5. The Album Doesn’t Beg for Attention – It Rewards It
This is not an album of obvious radio singles. It’s a late-night album. A walking-alone-with-your-headphones-on album. An album that grows with each listen.
There’s an intimacy to More – the kind of record you sink into rather than skim. It doesn’t rush to impress you, but if you give it time, it quietly knocks you sideways.
There’s comfort here, but not complacency. The Pulp of More are older, wiser, stranger – and more themselves than ever.
And the Moment That Caught Us Off Guard? ‘Tina.’
There’s always a wildcard, and on More, it might just be Tina – a punchy, off-kilter track that blends surreal storytelling with twitchy energy and a hook that’s part synth-pop, part spoken-word sketch. It’s funny, theatrical, and very possibly about more than one person at once.
It’s also a reminder that Pulp have never been predictable – and thank god for that.
More Than Just a Comeback
In a recent statement, Jarvis shared the story behind the album’s creation – from soundcheck experiments in 2023 to full-blown recording sessions in late 2024. He wrote:
“These are the facts. We hope you enjoy the music. It was written & performed by four human beings from the North of England, aided & abetted by five other human beings from various locations in the British Isles. No A.I. was involved during the process. This album is dedicated to Steve Mackey. This is the best that we can do.”
There’s something humble and honest about that – and it mirrors the album perfectly. More isn’t flashy. It’s not chasing youth. It’s rooted, reflective, and deeply human.
Listen With Us
We’ll be spinning More in the shop all weekend – and we’re hosting a special listening night this Friday, with coffee, conversation, and that limited Blue Sky Thinking vinyl edition ready on the shelves.
Whether you’re a longtime fan or just Pulp-curious, come and soak it up with us. The kettle’s on. The turntable’s ready.
What’s Your Favourite Track So Far?
Come tell us in person, drop us a message, or tag us online. We’d love to hear what More means to you – and where it’s taking you.
Because this isn’t just a return. It’s a reminder: of awkward beauty, late-night thoughts, and the kind of music that doesn’t just fill the room – it fills your head.
