The Hopeful Boy Replacement Service is the latest album from Yorkshire band Sandra’s Wedding. Formed in the triangle of sweet nothing between Goole, Castleford and Selby, Sandra’s Wedding has been busily curated a unique yet familiar sound over the past few years, gaining plaudits from local BBC radio presenters as well as praise from the current Poet Laureate Simon Armitage who played the band on Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour.
After gaining a loyal following over the past six years, five albums, two EPs and several singles, the band are excited to share this latest body of work. The album’s title track was the spark for a collection of songs which could be accused of being an old-fashioned ‘concept album’. The arc of growing older, realizing the great escape isn’t on the horizon and revelling in the banal absurdities of everyday living.
The idea was to imagine a long-forgotten classic ‘kitchen sink’ novel’ from the 1950s and 60s and a modern stage production of said novel with a contemporary soundtrack. That is the soundtrack.
Whilst the previous releases from Sandra’s Wedding have been bathed in cold black and white imagery, The Hopeful Boy Replacement Service jumps into glorious technicolour – a sentiment captured by Peter Scott’s amazing painting for the cover which rivals anything by way of visuals from the late 60’s or the 80’s new wave revival.
Recorder in York at Young Thugs studios, guests featured on the album includes Anthony Thompson, Gary Hammond, Hannah Bungard and world-renowned modern classical artist Gavin Bryars, a fellow Goole alumni who has written a score for one track.
Today XS Noize is pleased to exclusively premiere the video for ‘French Girls’ from the new album. Check out the video BELOW:
The album is released on July 14th and will be available to pre-order on limited-edition vinyl
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