English Settlement

by XTC

Overview

Several new instruments within the band -- Dave Gregory's Rickenbacker 12-string, Andy Partridge's new acoustic guitar, and Terry Chambers' new drum synthesizer, along with Colin Moulding's fretless bass -- set the tone for English Settlement, an album that moved away from the pop gloss of Black Sea in favor of light, though still rhythmically heavy, acoustic numbers with more complex and intricate instrumentation. There are plenty of pop gems -- "Senses Working Overtime" stands as one of their finest songs -- but the main focus seems to be the more expansive sound; most of the songs are drawn out to near-epic length, ultimately taking away some of the songs' impact. Despite several terrific tracks, English Settlement seems more a transitional album than anything else, although the textural sound of the album is quite remarkable, indicating the direction they would take in their post-touring incarnation. ~ Chris Woodstra

Product Details

Release Date:	11/22/2019
Label:	Ape House Ltd.
UPC:	0633367790910
Rank:	37987

Album Credits

Performance Credits

XTC   Primary Artist
Andy Partridge   Brass,Guitar,Vocals,Angklung,Prophet 5,Percussion,Sax (Alto),Lead Vocals,Synthesizer,Animal Sounds,Korg Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String),Vocals (Background),Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
Colin Moulding   Bass,Piano,Vocals,Percussion,Lead Vocals,Synthesizer,Fretless Bass,Guitar (Bass),Korg Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Hugh Padgham   Vocals,Guest Artist
David Gregory   Piano,Guitar,Keyboards,Percussion,Fuzz Guitar,Synthesizer,Korg Synthesizer,Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String),Guitar (Classical),Vocals (Background),Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
Hans Devente   Vocals,Guest Artist
Dave   Prophet 5,Percussion,Spanish Guitar,Vocals (Background),Guitar (Nylon String),Guitar (12 String Electric)
Terry Chambers   Drums,Percussion,Drum Machine,Vocals (Background)
Trans DeVente   Guest Artist

Technical Credits

Andy Partridge   Composer
Colin Moulding   Composer
Howard Gray   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Hugh Padgham   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Vocal Support
XTC   Mixing,Producer
Ian Cooper   Digital Remastering
Art Dragon   Illustrations
Allan Ballard   Photography
Trans DeVente   Vocal Support
Ken Ansell   Artwork
Andrew Partridge   Composer