Failure is Inevitable

by Spray

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1.	Here's One from the New Album 01:13	lyrics	buy track
And as the curtain falls, so the expectation rises But expectation has a habit of nasty surprises And so the curtain falls and wide-eyed optimism greets you And though a pang of conscience flutters by you still continue With that one phrase to make the world seem that little bit starker There's just one phrase to make the evening go that little bit darker Six words to test commitment from your resolute disciples... "Here's one from the new album"
2.	Astronomical 04:28	lyrics	buy track
Question to the panel tell me If there's irony within Asking for a friend please tell me Where does enterprise begin? When we know it sells - we sell it But we can't say how or why Everybody's on the uptake Got my money in my pocket, but my pocket's on fire I'm with the brand, so stick to the plan We're doing the impossible - going astronomical Though we are damned it's beautifully planned So ideological going astronomical I'm with the brand and I understand That we are now unstoppable, going astronomical I'm with the brand, programmed and offhand now Living fibre-optical, going astronomical Kneel before my soul and vision Kneel before integrity All the snobbishness is taken All the good stuff anyway Sometimes all you want is respect But then on the other hand Credibility is trumped by A hit for the performing-arts-college-grad's band I'm with the brand, so stick to the plan We're doing the impossible - going astronomical Though we are damned it's beautifully planned So ideological going astronomical I'm with the brand and I understand That we are now unstoppable, going astronomical I'm with the brand, programmed and offhand now Living fibre-optical, going astronomical Watch out The Beatles! That is a band I've definitely heard of - I can quote them offhand I've got authentic T-shirts, I got the tunes And I can nod solemnly discussing U2 Selling the vibe we're selling the hype We don't know what we've done but we've sure gone astronomical Selling the band is selling the brand but Keep it up we really love going astronomical I'm with the brand, so stick to the plan We're doing the impossible - going astronomical Though we are damned it's beautifully planned So ideological going astronomical I'm with the brand and I understand That we are now unstoppable, going astronomical I'm with the brand, programmed and offhand now Living fibre-optical, going astronomical
3.	We Gotta Get Haircuts 03:43	lyrics	buy track
Someone said we're stuck in past - a nostalgia act Yes we know, it was us Always been kinda bourgeoisy - if not musically And we played to our strengths Oh the effort to change our sound for a younger crowd That might give us away There must be a solution served To refresh our oeuvre in an underhanded way We gotta get haircuts We can masquerade as young renegades with a haircut Oh we gotta get haircuts Perceptions change for a tiny outlay with a haircut On the wall scheduled for Q4, radio's onboard Gotta tap into it Got the sheen of a drum machine - it's the sound of teens Yet nobody's impressed Can't keep up with the younger trends, how they change and bend We do try to be cool Marketing saying "you look the part then the content of art gets the benefit of doubt" We gotta get haircuts We can tap into the culture of youth with a haircut Oh we gotta get haircuts We can show that we have relevancy with a haircut Oh haircuts Oh we gotta get haircuts Down the ages the music don't change - just the haircuts Oh we gotta get haircuts Every comeback relies on the fact that they got haircuts
4.	Anthologised by Cherry Red 04:30	lyrics	buy track
Once I was crucified now I’m dead set I’ve been anthologised by Cherry Red By Cherry Red I had some minor hits and cult success I was told I’d be reissued under duress And then you go from super-austere to super-deluxe overnight On Record Store Day you get an overpriced picture disc– alright! I’m being euthanized though I’m not dead I’m being anthologised by Cherry Red I have been recognised and now I’m set Now I’m anthologised by Cherry Red Once I was done over by the NME All now reprinted and given out for free Gary Crowley liner notes and a play from Guy Garvey They’re gonna be sniffing around for me to play Glastonbury Oh I’ve been stigmatised and left for dead I’m being anthologised by Cherry Red I am revitalised full steam ahead I’ve been anthologised by Cherry Red Once I was crucified now I’m dead set I’m being anthologised by Cherry Red For all I symbolized I was no threat Til I was anthologised by Cherry Red Cherry Red, Cherry Red I’m being euthanized though I’m not dead I’m being anthologised by Cherry Red I have been recognised and now I’m set Now I’m anthologised by Cherry Red
5.	Chump (For My Love) 02:53	lyrics	buy track
The fact you value still spending time with me Reflects quite badly on you I’ll spell it out in terms you understand Profound to simpletons too You’re an idiot You’re an idiot loving me All this knuckleheaded tomfoolery Must cease I never had an emotional response That tugged the strings of my heart I’ve never once empathized or understood I just don’t care, or I can’t You’re an idiot You’re an idiot loving me My contempt for you is proportional To esteem Idiot You’re an idiot loving me I am so transparent yet you can’t see Through me Hey come here clownshoes, and rest your weary head It doesn’t mean that we’re through We have to accept you’re too good for me Or am I too good for you? You’re an idiot You’re an idiot loving me As respect increases the less I think Of thee Idiot You’re an idiot loving me I could never love anybody who Loves me
6.	Waiting for The Boom 03:59	lyrics	buy track
Killin’ time in airports Waitin’ for the install Office on the third floor We hope and strive Taken over en masse even though they never asked Etiquette impasse It’s where we thrive History has shown the future is foretold and Everything else is a distraction Everybody knows how the sequence goes Action! Reaction! Transaction! Inaction! Waiting for the boom Waiting for the boom boom Corporate away day Justifying payday Stalemate and stagnate Oh, this will do! Hubris and arrogance Living in deference Casual indifference will see us through Everybody’s goal is written on the wall In the form of motivational posters Epigram advice will help us work through life but Not if you overanalyse them Waiting for the boom Waiting for the boom boom Standing where we are still gettin’ what we want Standing where we are still gettin’ what we want Standing where we are still gettin’ what we want Standing where we are still gettin’ what we want Bureaucratic tangles Systematic shambles Summertime scandals Yet here we are Overprotective of the mission objective Completely lost perspective Still here we are Keep on keeping on then keep on keeping on (keep on) Everything will surely be sorted Everybody knows how the sequence goes Courted, supported, aborted, deported Waiting for the boom Waiting for the boom boom
7.	You Had Me at 'Easily Pleased' 04:21	lyrics	buy track
I spent my life searching for The guy from songs billed as "the one" At some point objectives change Downgrade "guarantee" to "bail-out" A cursory dancefloor assessment A perfunctory glance through the lights Oh none of them seem too discerning to me So the dice say it's your lucky night Because I'm gonna settle for you tonight I suppose that you'll do Suppose that you'll do Accept Mr Perfect and this guy look the same with the lights out Aspire to normality - a much more attainable prospect So print out a checklist and scoreboard You can go through life ticking them off Each end of the scale's a morality tale Whatever you do will be wrong It means that I'm gonna settle for you tonight I suppose that you'll do Suppose that you'll do I'm gonna settle, babe I'm on your level, babe You're intermediate, I'm intermediate We're both indifferent and insignificant Passable, yet unexceptional I'm gonna settle for you tonight I suppose that you'll do Suppose that you'll do
8.	Futuristic 03:17	lyrics	buy track
Hey where’s my jetpack, we laugh and say “how droll!” But then we all go quiet cos that’s not what we were sold Though the future we were promised was dystopian and cursed The present that we live in is arguably worse The planet has died and everyone sucks It’s misery and pain from dawn to dusk Pretty much dictionary definition futuristic It couldn’t be more futuristic No, not this future, this isn’t what I meant I wanted one all dressed in white with neon circus tents One where all disease was just a distant memory And everybody floated round in blissful ecstacy, where We’d seen to the end of the bourgeoisie With every class deleted, no hierarchy But that is never ever what was meant by futuristic That’s the opposite of futuristic John Foxx in his car John Foxx in his car John Foxx in his car John Foxx in his car John Foxx in his car John Foxx in his car The future: exactly like the past but in extreme Politicians propping up old crumbling regimes We’ve somehow got this far and yet we still haven’t matured Past bigotry and jealousy, tradition and nerves The brave new world is old school shill Nothing’s changed and nothing will This it seems is what was meant by futuristic It’s totally futuristic
9.	The Interlude 00:52	lyrics	buy track
Interlude Interlude Interlude This is the interlude Oh this is the interlude This is the interlude For you It's the interlude Enjoy the interlude Interlude
10.	Bluff It Again 02:07	lyrics	buy track
Bluff it again, bluff it again Gettin’ through the day with generic pet names Answer all questions with a counterclaim Bluff it again, bluff it again Bluff it again, bluff it again I googled what I could from the public domain Then I sneezed in my cocaine Bluff it again, bluff it again The only way I’m ever gonna get through this Point and say “Hey, look, it’s Elvis” Nod and say “Oh yeah, I gets it” Breathing space for a very sharp exit Nevertheless when you’re this mediocre And you find you are living as an “interloper” Never should have printed that diploma Very heavy load for a born freeloader Bluff it again, bluff it again Can somebody fly this aeroplane? Let me check the manual, I’ll check it again My secret is safe - a dodge and a feint Bluff it again, bluff it again Stand at the back and smile and say “Let’s hear from the rest, it’s democracy” The method in place to bluff it again This strategy for life is a strategy proven Through the ages to the same conclusion Ultimately nobody gives any contribution Competence and intellect are just an illusion Society evolved a solution to failure Everybody carried on the shoulders of their neighbours At the bottom of the pyramid a similar behaviour Coming up the other way to do you a favour Bluff it again, bluff it again Dress like the others and never complain Always agree and make sure you cave You’ll always be safe if you concede the game
11.	Get a Load of This Guy 03:25	lyrics	buy track
He’ll take time to explain mansplaining I’ll play it thick so that he can still keep up Plays the victim cos he’s who suffers here Can’t breath for laughing I’m feigning death again He thinks he’s got Bitchin’ conviction mid-life (Still thinks it’s rebellion) Get a load of this guy Bitter and terrified (Bring the feminazis on) Get a load of this guy Shouting louder will make them listen Shakin’ up the system though he’s already won Actually believes that his truthbomb Too hot to touch without gloves on Those ideas Been done before Loneliest hipster sells out (Internet connected fear) Get a load of this guy Tenuous grasp on power (Getting ever looser now) Get a load of this guy Not one original thought (Reach for mediocrity) Get a load of this guy Radical ideas but (written by a Twitter bot) Get a load of this guy All your views were long refuted You think they’re new, you’re just deluded You’re not being persecuted Here’s the truth – you’re just too stupid Someone that certain surely (Has to be a maniac) Get a load of this guy Look at the comments down there (Checkin' out my privilege now) Get a load of this guy Bitchin’ conviction mid-life (Still thinks it’s rebellion) Get a load of this guy Bitter and terrified (Bring the feminazis on) Get a load of this guy Bring the feminazis on Get a load of this guy
12.	Inexplicable 03:40	lyrics	buy track
Stop hitting yourself Stop hitting yourself When you try to make sense of it all, that is when It starts to break down And then you, you start to break down But that is the moment clarity calls your name The news is breakin’ through, you know it’s inexplicable Accept the dream Your new epiphany It’s all inexplicable - despicable now The news is to confuse, they’re all incomprehensible All you can see Your new epiphany The world’s inexplicable, a critical vow So give up the booze Or start drinking more booze Enlightenment cares not for which you choose The message is clear There is no, no message to hear It’s chaos out there and nobody will survive The news is breakin’ through, you know it’s inexplicable Accept the dream Your new epiphany It’s all inexplicable - despicable now The news is to confuse, they’re all incomprehensible All you can see Your new epiphany The world’s inexplicable, a critical vow And when you can’t make sense of it It’s clear they can’t make sense of it It’s like a weight of sense is lifted from your mind The news is breakin’ through, you know it’s inexplicable Accept the dream Your new epiphany It’s all inexplicable - despicable now The news is to confuse, they’re all incomprehensible All you can see Your new epiphany The world’s inexplicable, a critical vow
13.	Big Karma 04:23	lyrics	buy track
When I was an infant My parents were no different They would drum into me Be nice to your brother Your neighbours and to others And they will be nice to thee So I was, and I was and I was – no response Am I wrong? Am I on the wrong side of history? I’m with big karma and washed up in the harbour I chose big karma and washed up in the harbour I never noticed the way of the wind Or that evil would win I’m with big karma and washed up in the harbour I chose big karma and washed up in the harbour I never noticed the way of the wind Or that evil would win I’ve always been a pleasure To be around and never Spoke evil of anyone Altruistic, giving Benevolent, forgiving And waited for the reward So I was, and I was and I was – no response Am I wrong? Am I on the wrong side of history? I’m with big karma and washed up in the harbour I chose big karma and washed up in the harbour I never noticed the way of the wind Or that evil would win I’m with big karma and washed up in the harbour I chose big karma and washed up in the harbour I never noticed the way of the wind Or that evil would win I awoke every morn there was no golden dawn Charity’s overblown when you’re alone I awoke every morn there was no golden dawn Charity’s overblown when you’re alone I’m with big karma and washed up in the harbour I chose big karma and washed up in the harbour I never noticed the way of the wind Or that evil would win I’m with big karma and washed up in the harbour I chose big karma and washed up in the harbour I never noticed the way of the wind Or that evil would win
14.	Defenceless 05:28	lyrics	buy track
He stands on the podium ready for ridicule Resembling the least popular boy in vampire school The feel, the deal we've been here before Measured expectations have us heading for the door But then we hear You're not defenceless any more Despite the evidence you saw There once was no logic just bigotry There can be perfection and symmetry You're not defenceless any more Optimism conquers all Excited, ignited, united, unstoppable We’re beaten exhausted and punch drunk upon the floor We’ve found that you can’t change the system, we know the score But then the youth with expectation’s eyes Untainted by relentless failure look up to the skies They’re singing You're not defenceless any more Despite the evidence you saw There once was no logic just bigotry There can be perfection and symmetry You're not defenceless any more Optimism conquers all Excited, ignited, united, unstoppable You're not defenceless any more The world is a party I’d not been invited to I’ve gatecrashed a baffling labyrinth of peer reviews But then a voice from somewhere in the room Makes a small but valid point and it’s possible we’re not doomed You're not defenceless any more Despite the evidence you saw There once was no logic just bigotry There can be perfection and symmetry You're not defenceless any more Optimism conquers all Excited, ignited, united, unstoppable
15.	Flim Flam 03:23	lyrics	buy track
Life is comin’ fast and it is unregulated Forgetting all the things we have already debated Gettin’ just a little bit disorientated Flim flam flim flam Everybody starts to feel a little unstable Happy to accept a little group reappraisal It’s the perfect time to bring some common sense to the table Flim flam flim flam Oh oh flim flammin’ Play it hip so the message sticks Oh oh flim flammin’ Take it downtown – it’s profound Oh oh flim flammin’ Give support - never face the onslaught And that’s the path to success Very real concerns oh we will never ignore them We treat you with respect and with lot of decorum But now is not the time - an inappropriate forum Flim flam flim flam “Surely this behaviour will cause revolution?” In practice insurrection is no favoured solution We all return to comforting and known institutions Flim flam flim flam Oh oh flim flammin’ Be the man in the traffic jam Oh oh flim flammin’ Be the guy with the cheap supply Oh oh flim flammin’ Take the box and the overstocks Oh and that’s the path to success Oh oh flim flammin’ If you’re hip to the hypocrit Oh flim flammin’ You don’t mind being undermined Oh flim flammin’ Represent the ingredients You’re on the path to success Middlemen overspend Circumvent dissonance Recompense one percent Malcontent president Living in the future and we’re all disappointed Everyone we hoped would have their influence voided Has either been rewarded or they’ve been reappointed Flim flam Society is beaten up exhausted and bleeding Everybody sighing, giving up and conceding Tomorrow getting bleaker every second we leave it Oh oh flim flammin’ Take it downtown take it downtown Oh oh flim flammin’ Take it downtown take it downtown Be the man in the traffic jam Be the man in the traffic jam
16.	I Wonder Where the Wonder Goes 04:45	lyrics	buy track
Well you’re dancing at the disco And you’re dancing through the night You still want some stimulation But you find it all so trite Is there more to life than dancing? Is there more to life than sex? No-one ever finds there’s more to life Than failure and regret Sometimes I wonder where the wonder goes Sometimes I wonder how to stop the show Before we all become more comatose Sometimes I wonder where the wonder goes Sometimes I wonder where the wonder goes I had ambition, was a dynamo All that potential now the status quo Sometimes I wonder where the wonder goes We all used to be attractive And we used to have it all So let’s get back to the good times Through denial and alcohol We’re all trying to tell the difference Between ennui and pain It’s a cargo cult society So let’s go round again Sometimes I wonder where the wonder goes Sometimes I wonder why it all plateaus I’m treading water in the overflow Sometimes I wonder where the wonder goes Sometimes I wonder where the wonder goes I wanna live in polyphonic prose I don’t mean to come over grandiose It’s just I wonder where the wonder goes Oxidation from within Putrefaction for the win Apathy and lethargy They're the only goals for me And as we wonder where the wonder goes Why aren’t we basking in the afterglow? Now we’re all living in Guantanamo Nobody wonders where the wonder goes So when you’re tiring of the anecdotes And being carried by the undertow And we’re all fighting for the last lifeboat You too will wonder where the wonder goes

about

British synth band and self-styled indiepop chameleons Spray have announced their fifth studio album, Failure Is Inevitable, for 2019.
Founded in 2001, Spray is comprised of Ricardo Autobahn (synthesizers) and Jenny McLaren (vocals, guitars), both formerly of The Cuban Boys, who took their chaotic technopunk to No. 1 on the Festive 50 (twice), recorded one of the best Peel Sessions ever and went head-to-head with Sir Cliff Richard in a Christmas Chart Battle (but ultimately lost).

Their hit single Cognoscenti Vs Intelligentsia (a.k.a. The Hamster Dance Song) sold a million copies, reached No. 4 in the UK single charts, landed them on Top of the Pops and, in the words of John Peel, was “the most requested song I’ve had since God Save The Queen.

In a list presented by RockListMusic.co.uk, the Cuban Boys registered as the 30th most popular band in the history of the John Peel Show, ranking ahead of the Inspiral Carpets (31), The Cure (34), Nirvana and The Stone Roses (tied at 35).

BBC producer Mike Engles selected the Cuban Boys' first Peel Session as one of his top 10 all-time favourites, alongside Nirvana, The Damned and Ivor Cutler.

Following the demise of the Cuban Boys, Autobahn and McLaren formed Spray, turning their attentions toward synthpop and releasing their debut album Living In Neon in 2002 on U.S. indie label Ninthwave Media.

This was followed by Children Of A Laser God in 2006, which included their smash cover of Lisa Lougheed's Run With Us (known to most of us as 'The Raccoons' theme song).

Spray was the secret weapon behind the UK's 2006 Eurovision song for Daz Sampson Teenage Life, having written and produced it, as well as singing the treated vocals for that track.

Ricardo Autobahn and Daz Sampson would also collaborate on a dance version of Rhinestone Cowboy under the name Rikki and Daz, recording it with the legendary Glen Campbell himself and filming its expensive video in the Arizona desert. This track went top 10.

Spray also recorded a novelty track as the Barndance Boys called Yippie I Oh, which became a top 30 hit. Under the moniker The Attery Squash, Ricardo's track Devo Was Right About Everything was remixed by Devo themselves. More recently, Spray have been recording music with anarchic BBC star Hacker T. Dog.

Ricardo Autobahn writes music for TV and radio, which can be heard from BBC4 to ITV2 and from Australia to the USA. He also plays keyboards with Welsh punk pop legends Helen Love, also known for their collaboration with Joey Ramone.

Throughout all of this, Spray have continued to record their verbose off-kilter indie-disco synthpop. In 2018 they undertook their first live shows and released the single Anthologised By Cherry Red, which also features on the upcoming album. Reaching number 5 on the 2018 Festive 50 and being voted 'Record Of The Year' by Radio Six International, the song reflects the band’s archetypal sound – a celebration-of-all-things-pop tinged with cynicism, despair and the band’s ironic humour.

Sixteen tracks of feel-good pop, dry wit, acerbic irony and a not-so-nostalgic look at the past, it’s sure to please their ever-increasing army of fans as well as those who like a bit of social commentary with their upbeat electronica.

Failure Is Inevitable will be released via Manchester label AnalogueTrash on the 17th of May 2019, with an intimate album launch show scheduled for on the 31st of May at the iconic Castle Hotel in the city’s Northern Quarter.

credits

released May 17, 2019

Composed, performed and produced by Spray
Spray performed by Jenny McLaren and Ricardo Autobahn
Mixed by Morgan Lorentz
Additional vocals by Phil Fletcher
Artwork by Jack of Arts

Thanks go, in a strictly random order, to Rob, Carol, Terri, Rachel, Gareth, Stuart, Charlie, Matt, Phil, Lucy, Jonathan, Liam, Stefan, Paul, Nathan, Helen, Sheena, Skreen, Blu, Dickie, everybody we've met on the road, Hacker, all at AnalogueTrash and anybody else who knows us. And Mark and Louise, who also know us.

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about

Spray Lancashire, UK

Ric and Jen were members of 21st century pop terrorists The Cuban Boys, who topped John Peel's Festive 50 and the UK singles charts.

Their offshoot project Spray predicted the electropop boom, unfortunately much too early for them to cash in. They released two albums in 2002 and 2006.

In 2016 they released their first full length studio album in 10 years - 'Enforced Fun'. ... more

shows

Oct 20

La Machine du Moulin Rouge

Paris, France

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