A close friend of The Cure, the English band has not lost any of its captivating charm.
Since its self-titled debut more than forty years ago, And Also The Trees, the group founded by brothers Justin and Simon Huw Jones, has continually astonished with its fascinating songwriting, which touched post-punk and gothic rock before settling today into a subtler vein, without sacrificing its intensity.
After the impressive Mother-of-pearl Moon two years ago, a collection with restrained lyricism, they’re back with The Devil’s Door, which they present as the final chapter of a triptych begun in 2022 with The Bone Carver. “The idea that this new album would be the end of a cycle that would form a trilogy came to us when listening to the mastered version,” explains the group’s singer and lyricist Simon Huw Jones. “With hindsight, we’ve been able to gain an overview. The life of this band can be divided into different chapters, and we knew that The Devil’s Door was the end of something… and, I hope, the beginning of something else.”
On stage with The Cure
By surrounding themselves with refined percussion and intimate instruments (clarinet, violin) while keeping their original guitars, the gang delivers wonderfully venomous tracks that explore both shadow and light. Their knack for naming albums with titles that intrigue is once again evident with this “Devil’s Door” which Simon Huw Jones would like to keep shrouded in mystery: “Does this door lead to a forbidden place? A place we know we should not go but where we long to go? Is it a dangerous stretch of sea between rocks where ships are in peril? That does not mean the songs on this album describe what lies behind this devil’s door – that would be a whole other project!”
To hear these breathtaking tracks live and to dive back into their catalog from yesterday, a French tour will soon kick off in March, followed by three summer dates at the arenas of Nîmes, opening for their dear friends The Cure who have mentored them since the early days: a deep loyalty that is also evident in their French audience.
The Devil’s Door (AATT Records/Modulor). Release on February 27.
Live in Tourcoing on March 18, in Angers on the 19th, in Lorient on the 20th, in Cherbourg on the 21st, in Paris (La Gaîté Lyrique) on the 22nd.
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