Friends - The Zen House

The Zen House, the tenth studio album by London band Friends, is released on Monday 9 May 2011. The album is already available in Japan, where it was released to coincide with the band’s Japanese tour in April with The Monochrome Set.

The ultra-acoustic album kicks off with the glorious pop sunshine of When You Smile, and features 16 songs in stripped-down arrangements which showcase the voice and acoustic guitar playing of songwriter William Jones, percussion of Martin Parker and double bass of Edwin Pearson.

The album has a close, intimate feel, and many of the tracks were recorded ‘live’ in the studio in single takes. Two of the tracks are enhanced by sumptuous string quartet arrangements, and the songs span a range of moods and styles, from the lazy, jazz-tinged feel of London. Sunday Morning, to the raw, emotional bareness of Still Feelings and Your Will, the elegiac regret of Remember Me, and the mystical weirdness of the title track. The sparsity of the arrangements puts all the focus on the quality of songwriting and playing and, from the reaction at the Japanese concerts, Friends do not disappoint.

The Zen House shows a band that are still stretching themselves musically, seeking variety and contrast after 25 years of playing and recording, and determined never to stand still.

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