The Lost Worker Bee - new EP release

elbow release a new EP on 24th July. The ‘Lost Worker Bee’ EP has 4 brand new songs all based upon their home town of Manchester. The track titles are ‘Lost Worker Bee’, 'And It Snowed’, ‘Roll Call’ & ‘Usually Bright’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRQAze5R0d4

Live in Belgium last month

Listed for purchase anywhere yet? Quick search of Amazon (US and UK) returns nothing, nor is there anything on their own site. Digital only, I sadly assume.

I hope this isn't digital only. Not everybody wants a shit sounding mp3 in their collection.

Ok, so it's the 24th. Nothing on the band's website as yet. Amazon & I-tunes have a mp3 available to buy.

What a massive disappointment.

Should be available now, I got an email this morning.

Sadly not on Canada Spotify though.

My disappointment relates more to the fact there's no physical release. For a band that say they love the EP format you'd have thought they'd have given the fans a piece of vinyl or a CD. Amazon and i-Tunes are only offering mp3 downloads. For those who despise mp3, I did manage to find a FLAC version on Qobuz for €3.24.

I agree I'd prefer a physical disc. Not to hijack the thread though, but I think mp3/AAc has come a long way over the years, especially since bitrates were increased.

A 320 kbit/s mp3 is excellent quality, blind tests have shown it indiscernible.

I just like to hold the damn thing! Plus the artwork.

I agree, wish there was a physical release, it would be great on vinyl. I do love it though. Usually Bright is beautiful.

It'll be released next Friday for the US. Might be the same for all of N. America so you can listen to it through Spotify then. Hopefully they'll release some kind of physical version of this in the near future, it seems like something that was finished on a recent scale and there might not have been enough time to release the physical product at the same time.

Anyone car to comment on the music? I thought it a great EP, 'And It Snowed' being my pick of the 4 - there's a wonderfully low bass droll about 3/4th the way through it (any idea if it's a bass guitar or drum noise?). 'Usually bright' is a wonderfully lyrically generated song too...

A vast vast improvement on that god awful commercial waffle they barfed up for that Simon Pegg film...

missed the release as on holiday, came as a surprise to me!

I agree its a great EP. Nice to hear a bit of upbeat tempo in Roll Call - Think there are some Garvey gems in the lyrics too - have to listen again to pick them up

all the other tracks hit the spot for me

And it Snowed - love this one already too

The EP went on sale in the US today. I bought it from Amazon, and I've listened to it about five times now.

It's good stuff. After The Take-Off and Landing, this is mellower. It goes down well.

"And It Snowed" sounds like vintage Keane, but better. And "Usually Bright" reminds me a lot of TSSK-era b-side "Our Little Boat."

This is the best stuff I have heard in ages...desperate for a physical copy!

Great new EP. The only song I am blasé about is "And It Snowed", which others seem to really rate. It is a bit like early Keane, also a little tinge of Coldplay but Elbow don't need to lean on these bands for inspiration; I don't hate either band but they are the height of mediocrity for me and Elbow have always been musically superior IMO.

The other three tracks are all excellent in their own ways. Lost Worker Bee plays around with rhythm, volume and tempo as so many of the best Elbow tracks do; Roll Call is a brilliant, infectious, slightly rockier affair for Elbow, and I love the looping vocals and bassline.

Usually Bright is a sad, sweet little number; indeed TSSK-era sounding; it is a bit We're Away-ish, and I can hear "Our Little Boat" too. Love the very subtle but poignant piano whispering in the background. Lovely song.

And It Snowed is not a bad song at all; just feels a bit "generic" to me, like a number of different alt-rock bands could have penned it.

All in all, great. I am a stickler for the slow, melancholic stuff but Jupp is such a creative drummer and I love the way Elbow play around with percussive rhythm. Both Lost Worker Bee and Roll Call are delightfully fresh in that department.

It all started with Scattered Black and Whites of course. Subtle melody but the piano and brilliant, original drumming is what makes that song.

elbowismymuse wrote:

Roll  Call is a brilliant, infectious, slightly rockier affair for Elbow, and I love the looping vocals and bassline.

agreed... the rockier elbow is always my first love with this band... i wish they'd do it more often! the 4 tracks on this EP are all topper imho!

rhill wrote:

good spot! #eagleeyes