It’s not always a reason to be happy when a lost act returns. Often enough, new releases just bring back memories of old great deeds, and you catch yourself thinking like a grandma that everything used to be better. Things are completely different with The Miserable Rich: The band from Brighton said goodbye about ten years ago with a Christmas single and a live album and moved on to other things.
Personal strokes of fate brought the musicians back together, and since the beginning of 2023 there have been concrete indications of a new album. For OVERCOME to pick up where The Miserable Rich left off in 2012 would be too short-sighted, because too much has happened in the meantime. The ten new songs express pain, sadness, loss as well as optimism, hope and joy – played by five older men who have not only retained their signature sound, but have expanded it properly. Singer James Malplaquet once said about his band that they were an indie band that lost their guitars and found strings instead.
On OVERCOME, their glowing chamber pop of violins and cello is joined by concise percussion (new drummer!), which gives energy and danceability to an anthemic ballad like “Probably Will” or the swinging folk song “FHS”. A wonderful comeback album that fills hollow concepts like empathy and empowerment with love and life.