Squaring the Circle (album)

Squaring the Circle is the fourth studio album by English electronic band Sneaker Pimps, released on 10 September 2021.

Squaring the Circle
Studio album by
Sneaker Pimps
Released10 September 2021 (2021-09-10)
Studio
Genre
Length1:07:40
LabelUnfall Productions
ProducerSneaker Pimps
Sneaker Pimps chronology
Bloodsport
(2002)		 Squaring the Circle
(2021)

Content

After a hiatus of 18 years, it is the fourth album in the Sneaker Pimps discography.[1] It includes songs that had been sitting incomplete for decades, and collaborations with singer Simonne Jones.[2][1] This returned the group to a trio of founders Liam Howe and Chris Corner alongside a female vocalist, reflecting their most commercially successful period in the mid-1990s when they worked with Kelli Ali.[3]

The album was recorded at Sawtooth Studios, Pioneertown, California and the Tower Studios, London.[4] It features Corner playing acoustic guitar on several tracks; Corner has said he has been influenced by Spanish guitar music and Simon and Garfunkel.[5] The title comes from squaring the circle, a seemingly impossible process, which describes the relationship between Howe and Corner and the unlikeliness of them reforming.[6]

The title track and "Fighter" were released as singles ahead of the album in July 2021,[7] which was released on 10 September.[5]

Howe's solo venture as Ape Mink Press (AMP) remixed several tracks from the album, including "Alibis", "Fighter" and "So Far Gone".[8]

Critical reception

The album received a mixed review from Dana Alward of mxdwn.com, who appreciated the duo wanted to move on from previous work, but found the resulting work "fails to create a cohesive thematic atmosphere".[6] Saby Reyes-Kulkarni of Popmatters appreciated tracks like "Tranquility Trap", "Child in the Dark" and "Immaculate Hearts" which showed them as "a latter-day Depeche Mode" and praised Corner's acoustic guitar work, but criticised the lack of input from Jones, adding the founding duo "haven't learned from past mistakes".[3]

Track listing
  1. "Fighter"
  2. "Child in the Dark"
  3. "Alibis"
  4. "So Far Gone"
  5. "Immaculate Hearts"
  6. "No Show"
  7. "The Tranquillity Trap"
  8. "SOS"
  9. "Stripes"
  10. "The Paper Room"
  11. "Black Rain"
  12. "Love Me Stupid"
  13. "Lifeline"
  14. "Pink Noise"
  15. "Come Like the Cure"
  16. "Squaring the Circle"

References
  1. Woods, Cat (23 September 2021). "The ghost of trip hop is back to haunt your turntable". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. "5 Albums I Can't Live Without: Liam Howe Of Sneaker Pimps". Spin. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  3. "Sneaker Pimps (sort of) nod to the past with "Squaring the Circle"". Popmatters. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  4. "Sneaker Pimps Announce 'Squaring The Circle,' First New Album In Nearly 20 Years". udiscovermusic. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  5. ""We have no ego when it comes to the last decision" : Sneaker Pimps' Chris Corner on new album Squaring the Circle". guitar.com. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  6. "Album Review: Sneaker Pimps – Squaring The Circle". mxdwn.com. 29 September 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  7. "Listen to Sneaker Pimps' first new songs in nearly 20 years". NME. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  8. @SneakerPimpsNow (11 August 2021). "Today sees the release of the first ever Ape Mink Press (AMP) remix. AMP is Liam's new solo project" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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