The Last Romance
The Last Romance is the sixth and final studio album by Arab Strap, released on October 17, 2005 on Chemikal Underground. Upon release, vocalist Aidan Moffat stated that the album is "a lot more upbeat, but still deals with some of the darker aspects of relationships. It's like the dark side in Star Wars though – quicker, faster, more seductive."[8]
Moffat also noted his desire for the album "to be shorter, more immediate. If our previous albums could be considered "hard work", I wanted this one to be a slap in the face. I felt it was important we didn't make the same album over ten years, so this one was going to be more digestible and a lot louder."[8]
Following the album's release, Arab Strap announced that it would be their last. Moffat stated that: "there’s no animosity, no drama. We simply feel we’ve run our course. The Last Romance seems the most obvious and logical final act of the Arab Strap studio adventure. Everybody likes a happy ending."[8]
Accolades
| Publication |
Country |
Accolade |
Year |
Rank |
| The Skinny |
Scotland |
Scottish Albums of the Decade |
2009 |
25[9] |
Overview
This album continues the snide lyrical style for which Arab Strap are renowned. The first line of the opening song begins "...burn these sheets that we've just fucked in...". However, there are some more optimistic songs, such as "There Is No Ending". There are only 3 acoustic songs on this album, which has a rock-oriented sound, with influences from bands like Mogwai.
The sleeve artwork on the front contains a collage of four faces, flowers, a wolf and a skull. It was designed by Australian illustrator Rik Lee, whose previous work features many of the images seen on the sleeve artwork. The inside contains the lyrics hand-written in a notebook-style layout.
Track listing
- All songs written by Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton.
- "Stink" – 2:16
- "(If There's) No Hope for Us" – 3:57
- "Chat in Amsterdam, Winter 2003" – 3:19
- "Don't Ask Me to Dance" – 4:00
- "Confessions of a Big Brother" – 3:36
- "Come Round and Love Me" – 2:58
- "Speed-Date" – 3:07
- "Dream Sequence" – 4:15
- "Fine Tuning" – 2:54
- "There Is No Ending" – 5:33
US copies include two extra tracks:
- "El Paso Song" – 3:57
- "Go Back to the Sea" – 3:53
Personnel
Arab Strap
Additional musicians
- Geoff Allan - vocals ("There is No Ending")
- Alan Barr - cello ("Stink", "Confessions of a Big Brother")
- Barry Burns - organ ("Come Round and Love Me"), piano ("Dream Sequence")
- David Jeans - drums ("(If There's) No Hope For Us", "Don't Ask Me to Dance", "Speed-Date", "Dream Sequence")
- Jon McCue - vocals ("There is No Ending")
- Nicola MacLeod - vocals ("(If There's) No Hope For Us", "Come Round and Love Me")
- Jenny Reeve - violin ("Come Round and Love Me", "There is No Ending")
- Andrew Savage - vocals ("There is No Ending")
- Allan Wylie - trumpet ("Speed-Date", "There is No Ending")
Recording personnel
- Paul Savage - recording, producer
- Geoff Allan - recording, producer
- Arab Strap - producer
- Morten Bue - mastering
Artwork
- Rik Lee - illustrations
- Bulletproof ID - layout
References
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| Studio albums |
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| EPs |
The Girls of Summer EP · Live · Cherubs EP · Fukd ID #2 · Quiet Violence · The Shy Retirer EP
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| Singles |
"The First Big Weekend" · "The Smell of Outdoor Cooking" · "The Clearing" · "Here We Go"/"Trippy" · "(Afternoon) Soaps" · "To All a Good Night" · "Love Detective" · "Turbulence" · "Dream Sequence" · "Speed-Date" · "The Shy Retirer" · "There Is No Ending"
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| Compilation albums |
Singles · Ten Years of Tears
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| Live albums |
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| Related articles |
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