Candy Opera Patron Saint Of Heartache CD

Following the overdue release of two archival sets - 45 Revolutions PerMinute and Rarities (released in 2018 by Firestation Records, quickly selling out of their first runs) - their new album The Patron Saint of Heartache picks up where the band left off, with 14 fresh songs ready for discovery of a sound as timeless as any Candy Opera output.

Candy Opera were formed in Liverpool in 1982 and went through various incarnations before calling it a day in 1992. By 1985, the band had played alongside the likes of The Pogues, The Go-Betweens and The Redskins, as well as appearing on Granada TV. The band's current line-up is drawn from all eras of the band’s existence and features Brian Chin Smithers (guitar, vocals), Alan Currie (drums), Frank Mahon (bass), Paul Malone (vocals, guitar), Ken Moss (guitar) and Gary O'Donnell (keyboards, vocals, percussion).

This new LP also features a swathe of friends and contemporaries, including Paul Simpson (The Wild Swans) and Phil Jones (Afraid of Mice). The result is an exquisite piece of pop craftsmanship that brings their songs into the light. This is a labour of love born of experience, but retaining the sense of wonder that brought the band together in the first place.