A Rave First Review of the whole album: Museum Of Tomorrow

A Rave of a review from much esteemed Something Else Webzine, And, the first review of the whole album:

"...While listening to Museum of Tomorrow - which clocks in as the Speed of Sound’s latest and fifth full-length album - it is easy to imagine yourself gliding through space in a time machine. This 13-track collection centres on science-fiction concepts; where the past meets the future, the future meets the past, the present is questionable, and the line is blurred between fantasy and reality. There is zero fat content on Museum of Tomorrow, as the tunes are trim and tight, sloping towards a zoomy feel that reflects the subject matter. The material on Museum of Tomorrow orbits around big and bubbly rhythms rippling with new-wave reflexes, aided by flashes of ringing psychedelic Byrdsian guitar figures. Every “exhibit” – as the songs are referred to – on Museum of Tomorrow is rife with power-packed pop melodies and harmonious instrumentation, making for a record that has a long-lasting effect..."

You can find the piece here

Huge thanks to El Santo Del Rock for the review in Mexico City's Missale Rockum blog. My Spanish is 'somewhat limited' but modern technology provides the answer: 

"The Speed ​​Of Sound is the band currently composed of John Armstrong, Henry Armstrong, Ann-Marie Crowley, Kevin Roache, and John Broadhurst, whose formal history began in Manchester during 1989, plus there is an interesting story of them that happens on the day of Andy Warhol's death in 1987, plus 32 years after releasing his debut EP, announce the arrival of Museum of Tomorrow, his new LP that will be released on CD and Deluxe LP via Big Stir Records, after releasing 8 singles with the Californian label, more to make the prelude it is fair to start with the first extract of this material, which will arrive on August 14 to digital platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify, while the full album will be presented in its entirety next September 17 , with its different editions now available, including the

traditional black vinyl, and a colour edition, in the Big Stir Records store. Tomorrow's World is an allegory regarding the current situation of the world, society and its people, based on the images that, when the current millennium was appreciated as something distant and enigmatic in the minds of the human beings that we were, appeared to be a A time that would have us with occupations of a fantastic kind, when in reality it would seem that we are reaching a dystopian era where humanity faces its end in the face of an invisible threat, of unknown origin, designed to bring out the worst in ourselves."

You will find the original here.

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Replicant / The Melancholy Rose : Single Released 04June2021

And here is the new single: 

Replicant / The Melancholy Rose. ...As the label put it:

Driven by acoustic guitar and exuding a joyous hip-swaying bouncing beat. Replicant playfully asks questions about the very nature of human existence. Offering a foretaste of the themes of the upcoming full length album. Here too, The Speed Of Sound draw heavily from their Science-Fiction influences. While Replicant seems to inhabit the same universe as Blade Runner it also carries another message from the corporate world. Where modern job interviews appear to have evolved into some kind of reverse Voight-Kampff Test; instead of designed to detect replicants, the purpose is to determine if the applicant has unfortunately retained any human characteristics, or will - as hoped - mechanically follow scripts and instructions. Do Androids dance to analogue music? We don’t know, but point your arm and shout along with the chorus.

Shimmering summer pop for shaded people; languid open and drifting, a gothically tinged piece of romanticism lies atop a sparkling guitar riff and a tale of the first rose of the year to bloom. Ahead of its time and alone, but merely the trailblazer showing the way and heralding the coming change. A celebration of the sudden bursting open of summer itself and an invitation to tune out from the background white-noise of civilisation and relax. To exist in the moment and enjoy the things around us. The Speed Of Sound are known for their power, yet this displays their soaring delicate side. Guest vocals are provided by one of pair a blackbirds that nested (and successfully fledged four chicks) among the dense honeysuckle and ivy of John A’s back garden during lockdown.

Recorded at Vibratone Sound Studio in Manchester.

Sleeve Art by LocalHotelParking.

Keep It Quiet

Keep It Quiet, no don't do that, shout it from the rooftops! It is here: The new single is No.82 in the Big Stir Records catalogue is here (scroll to 82) released into the world to fend for itself and have adventures of its own. As we welcome its twin themes of climate change plus the metaphor of the human relationship with Mother Nature as domestic violence, all set to a pulsating buoyant bouncing rhythm, here, is the video:

New single sleeve art

We have a new single on the way... sleeve art:

fabulous artwork by LocalHotelParking
More detail will follow...

Busy in lockdown

Strange Days, as the say - and they are; we hope you're adapting to the circumstances.
We've been a little quiet lately, but its because we've been too busy to tell any one about it. We have a new single coming again on the lovely Big Stir Records of LA. We've been making video too, which is not easy when you can't get anyone together or film anything outside your house. But here's a teaser shot from one of the videos, we've edited in a little bit of film taken from a gig in back September, it feels so much longer ago than six months since then:

To add to that, we're still here and the website shop and Bandcamp are still open, the post is still going out and still arriving so don't be shy about picking up some limited edition independent music on vinyl or any of the other exciting items we have for you.

Line-up

It has 'been a bit intense' lately, very very busy, which means there is a lot happening. Thing One is: Huge thanks to Anthony 'Eddy' Edwards of Weimar for sitting in on drums since September 2017 and a big welcome to John Broadhurst who will be playing his first gig with The Speed Of Sound at the soon to be announced new single release gig.

Meanwhile - for those that like lists - here's the updated personnel listing since the first EP released in 1989:

Stay tuned for more updates!