The Courteeners
Not Nineteen Forever / If It Wasn't For Me

Love this record? Hate it? Tell us.

What their label says...

The words, ‘hotly anticipated’ are much overused in the music industry but one glance at the forum pages for The Courteeners would justify that term in relation to the band’s debut, due on April 7th. ‘St.Jude’, the patron saint of lost causes and the icon that hangs from a chain around singer Liam Fray’s neck, is the first full length missive from a band whose elevation from local heroes to national news has come about through the old fashioned approach of building a fanbase via playing live. From the peaks of sell out shows at Manchester Ritz and London Kings College on their first single proper to the new highpoints of a sold out Manchester Academy and London’s Astoria prior to the album release, The Courteeners have been and remain a band that the people can and do take straight to their hearts. Being built with these incredible foundations, something so many ‘hype’ bands lack, has earned the support of Radio 1, Q, and NME among many others and will see to it that The Courteeners enjoy a lasting career.

Packed with instant guitar pop hooks, ‘St. Jude’ is also notable for Fray’s witty and incisive lyrics which resonate with fierce honesty and self deprecating humour as hinted at on singles, ‘Cavorting’, ‘Acrylic’ and ‘What Took You So Long?’ His knack of conversational and realistic story telling, shot through with an ability for the well timed barbed put down reminds of Morrissey, John Cooper Clarke and Jarvis Cocker. The album is produced by the legendary uber producer Stephen Street.