English Teacher announce debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’
The announcement comes with new track ‘Albert Road’ and a headline tour.
Photo: Tatiana Pozuelo
A true jewel in the crown of the Leeds music scene, English Teacher are the band that has quickly become a favourite of many a music lover nationwide with their wonky, imperfect but made-with-love post-punk sound. Ready to claim 2024 as their year, we see the long-awaited announcement of their debut album This Could Be Texas and are treated to their first single of the year, Albert Road.
Albert Road is a hauntingly beautiful gem from the band; perhaps a release that is more emotion-drenched than any of their previous releases. A soft and gentle guitar rhythm starts this one – quickly setting the tone as vocalist Lily Fontaine enters the stage with her voice ready to transform the next five minutes into a soothing and comforting ballad. Once again brings an absolute masterclass of poetry and heartfelt meaning into her lyrics. “Don’t take their prejudice to heart, they hate everyone / The world around them never showed how loving can be fun” is a particularly harrowing and memorable line.
The song culminates with a real English Teacher-esque hook of powerful vocal work, with jangly, wonky guitar work, a sound that the band have long declared their own. It is an emotional climax in a song that’s already brimming with poignancy, melancholy, love and affection.
Ahead of the release of Albert Road, Fontaine revealed that “When people ask where I’m from I usually say I’m mixed race: half Yorkshire, half Lancashire. It allows me to divert with comedy from the potential connotations of that question, which change wildly depending on who’s asking it. One end of Albert Road in Colne (her hometown) is cold, underfunded and uninspiring; the other is warm at night with live music. It sums up how I look back on the place I lived for 19 years.”
Albert Road is a song that should be listened to with its video for the full experience. There’s something so jarring about seeing a familiar place in a music video — the chosen location by the band was The Cardigan Arms in Leeds, a personal favourite of the bands, located in what many would consider the ‘student’ side of the city. Upon being asked about the choice of location, drummer Douglas Frost stated that it, “represents the complex feelings of love one might have towards their hometown. I wanted Albert Road to have a dream-like feel whilst keeping a firm grip on reality. That’s why we chose to film in one of our favourite pubs in Leeds, The Cardigan Arms — its classic interior was a great juxtaposition to the ethereal qualities of the video.” He also mentioned that this is ‘technically’ his directorial debut, so “sit back, shut up and be nice.”
On the countdown to This Could Be Texas, we have seen the real diversity and range of English Teacher’s ability – Albert Road is yet another piece in the band’s growing discography puzzle.
This Could Be Texas is out April 12th via Island Records. Pre-order from Rough Trade here.