Soft Cell Channel Dark Soviet Kitsch on New Brooding Electronic Pop Anthem ‘Bruises On My Illusions’

Marc Almond and Dave Ball’s return to the world of Soft Cell with their first studio album since 2002 is undeniably one of our most anticipated music moments of 2022. The LP, Happiness Not Included will be arriving in the February of next year, but thankfully the duo have given us a taster in the form of brand new single, Bruises On My Illusions.

The release, a brooding Soviet-inspired synthpop gem is described by Marc “as a mini film noir Soft Cell story about a disillusioned character with everything against him or her who still has hope for a better future, despite the odds. A darker “Bedsitter.” Dave’s ominous yet punchy defiant chords inspired the song.“

With the LP’s striking Chernobyl set artwork, titles such as Bruises On My Illusions and Heart Like Chernobyl capture the tone of the brooding synthpop anthems that Marc Almond and Dave Ball release. Marc shares: “In this album I wanted to look at us as a society: a place where we have chosen to put profits before people, money before morality and decency, food before the rights of animals, fanaticism before fairness and our own trivial comforts before the unspeakable agonies of others. But in the album there is also a belief that there is a utopia if we can peel back the layers and understand what really matters.“ Dave adds: “[The album was] Recorded remotely during a world pandemic. Science fiction stories for the 21st century.”

The duo have also given us a taste of the synth-soaked lead single Heart Like Chernobyl, a catchy melancholic banger with similar cinematic vibes.

Happiness Not Included is set to be released on the 25th of February 2022. See the tracklist below.

1. ‘Happy Happy Happy’
2. ‘Polaroid’
3. ‘Bruises On My Illusions’
4. ‘Purple Zone’
5. ‘Heart Like Chernobyl’
6. ‘Light Sleepers’
7. ‘*Happiness Not Included’
8. ‘Nostalgia Machine’
9. ‘Nighthawks’
10. ‘I’m Not A Friend Of God’
11. ‘Tranquiliser’
12. ‘New Eden’

Pre-order Soft Cell’s latest here.