Wonderful new The Crookes record "Hold Fast" to be released on July 9!

 THE CROOKES "Hold Fast"

 Relesedate 09 July 2012

 Fierce Panda / Munich Records

Sheffield-based brainstormers THE CROOKES are back with a new tour, a new guitarist and plans a'plenty for their second album release called ‘Hold Fast’ and, as perhaps suggested by the fact that they romp through ten songs in 33 minutes, is their most dynamically direct New Pop message yet.

 Lest we forget THE CROOKES are now men of domestic mystery and international intrigue after spending the past three years growing up in an industry where a three month stint can make you look like veterans. The callow, foppish youths who launched themselves out of the butt end of the noughties with independent singles on Heist Or Hit and Too Pure, and who’ve hurtled through the ‘Dreams Of Another Day’ EP and the ‘Chasing After Ghosts’ album on fierce panda in that past two years, are now well versed in the art of recording hi octane tunes and are well travelled enough to know their Aarhus from their Bromley-by-Bow. Over the past two years barely a single European capital city with all their sun-kissed girls and un-kissed boys has been left untouched by their touring machine. They were recently flown to Japan to play the opening of the Burberry's flagship store in Tokyo and, on a slightly more homespun but no less exciting way they are poised to visit Darlington and Derby as part of yet another trek around the UK in May.

 Those lucky bright young things will already know that this is a fitter, meaner Crookes: the fringes are a bit less floppy, the new songs are a touch more muscular, the attitude is a lot more...attitudinal. The Crookes once again prove themselves to be on the straight and narrow. Our favourite is actually the heroically restrained ‘Sal Paradise’, but you’ll get your chance to pick a new winner at these shows here, here and there…  

 Listen to The Crookes first single "Afterglow":