Can't Read The Signs

by Wesley Stace

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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    In a limited edition of 250, a hand-numbered and signed book of thirteen new and unreleased lyrics, including a 7” single with a brand new song for 2020.

    At the start of the year, exciting plans were afoot for the making of my next record! And then…lockdown. Of all the albums I ever had it in mind to make, this happened to be the one that shouldn’t be made remotely and distantly during isolation. The reason for that will become clear: plans are still in place.

    For this record, for the first time ever, I’d written only the lyrics which I sent to David Nagler, who supplied the melodies and arrangements. I then sang the vocals on the demos. These were almost good enough to release as a stopgap new album, but the last thing the world needs now is more unfinished, hurriedly released art. So I decided to wait until we could make the record, in person, with people, for you.

    The delay left me with the lyrics, some of which were topical (as you’ll see - they might have to be updated by the time we finally record). When they'd left my desk, they were ready on the page: more like poems since I hadn’t supplied any melodies for them, only the melody of rhythm and scansion. And I wanted you to have them before it was too late. Here they are.

    One track, however, was an outlier. I'd recorded "Can’t Read the Signs” with Pete Donnelly last year, and therefore, though I intended to include it in some version on the record, it wasn’t one of the Stace/Nagler collaborations. Yet it’s very much one of this set of lyrics. So I gussied that recording up, married it with another song (an extra track from the Sound of His Own Voice sessions, never previously on vinyl) that I thought would be a good b-side at 45 RPM, and made a single to go with the book.

    I am disappointed not to have got to make the record yet, but we’ve all had to put things aside. I am however delighted to present you with these lyrics in advance of the album, and also the unique single, the first on WOW Records, that accompanies it. With a large hole, for your jukebox, of course.

    The forthcoming record has the working title “Late Style”, so that was the obvious name for the book. 250 copies total. And I am happy to personalize these for you, by request.

    The purchase also includes a digital download of the single: Can’t Read the Signs b/w The Harding Defense.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Can't Read The Signs via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more
    ships out within 3 days
    edition of 250 

      $20 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $2 USD  or more

     

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about

This is a pre-order. Street Date: October 23rd.

credits

released October 23, 2020

Can’t Read the Signs (2:18)

performed by Wesley Stace
recorded and mixed by Pete Donnelly
drums by Patrick Berkery
keyboards by Robbie Bennett
recorded March 2019 at Katonah Sound, Westmont NJ

The Harding Defense (2:59)

performed by John Wesley Harding and The King Charles Trio
recorded by Adam Selzer
mixed by Scott McCaughey
recorded November 2010 at the Type Foundry, Portland OR

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about

Wesley Stace Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Since his critically acclaimed 1990 debut Here Comes the Groom (lauded by the LA Times as “the first great rock record of the `90s”) John Wesley Harding has recorded 19 records for both major (Sire, Hollywood) and independent (Mammoth, Rhino, Appleseed) labels alike. His novels have been published by Little Brown and Picador in the U.S. ... more

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