New Music: ‘Extended Pleasures’ by Aubrey Straw

‘Extended Pleasures’ is the latest release from Welsh indie collective Aubrey Straw, serving as the final album in their long-running conservation series as the band refocus on new material.

‘Extended Pleasures’ is a reworked version of ‘The Aubrey Straw EP’. The first five songs were recorded in 1999 and released in CD format. The new album features an additional five other songs of the era that were later produced and added to convert the EP to a full album.

Aubrey Straw released ‘Extended Pleasures’ in April, spotlighted by the track ‘Alan Beynon Said’.

The song is an indie folk tribute to the legend of a local Port Talbot tramp; a man who rejected conformity and lived life on his own terms. Inspired by his story, this song blends reflection, humour and admiration for a free spirit who never chased what society expected. With vivid storytelling and a catchy hook, it speaks to those who find happiness outside the norm.

“I wrote it when I had the Hong Kong Chicken Flu (self-diagnosed) in the 1997-98 season, after falling asleep in the bath,” Aubrey Straw songwriter Phil Vat says.

“Anyway, it’s in honour of the great man from the Goytre, who used to have the best mountain bike in Port Talbot. I heard the story of his head going when his girlfriend left him and he had a payoff from the steel works, which he never bothered to collect. I was inspired by the way he wasn’t a drunk tramp, just happy to not conform to everyone else’s idea of normality.”

‘Extended Pleasures’ serves as the final instalment in Aubrey Straw’s conservation series, which has seen the band re-release previously recorded songs and albums.

The collection also includes ‘There’s A Revolution In Sight v5’, bringing the band’s catalogue home to rest under the banner of Shiny Vinyl Presents. Shiny Vinyl Presents is a not-for-profit indie record label that supports and promotes the production of original music from Port Talbot and surrounding areas.

Aubrey Straw formed in 1997 as a homegrown Welsh response to the sounds of the Manchester and Britpop scenes emanating from England led by bands like Oasis and Blur. Their music helped redefine Port Talbot as it transitioned from an industrial town into a cultural hub. While the line-up has changed plenty over the past 30 years, the band’s DIY ethos and their enduring local legacy remain intact.

‘Extended Pleasures’ neatly bookends the extensive recording history of Aubrey Straw. Important as it is to preserve their past, Aubrey Straw now have the future in sight as they refocus on writing, recording and producing brand new music.

‘Extended Pleasures’ by Aubrey Straw is out now. Check out Shiny Vinyl Presents on Facebook.

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