Paul Smith & The Intimations
New album 'Contradictions' released 21st August 2015 on Billingham Records

Listen to the first track 'Coney Island (4th of July)' : https://soundcloud.com/paul-smith-music/coney-island-4th-of-july

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/7tskZbUjkpA

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Contradictions is the brand new record by dynamic pop auteur Paul Smith. It shows a more vulnerable side to the Maxïmo Park ringleader, drawing inspiration from across the miles, combining North Easterly charm with the grit of Brooklyn’s NYC coast, showing that no matter where you’re heading or where you’ve been, life itself can be a bit of a paradox.

“Coney Island is a terribly romantic place”, says Smith of one of Contradictions' key components and the inspiration behind lead track ‘Coney Island (4th of July)’. After seeing Robert Frank’s black and white photographs from 4th July 1958, of people asleep on the sand, post-festivities, Smith did some research and came across an article by Maxim Gorky ('Boredom'). “Gorky was quite sceptical about the place. The idea of glamour and squalor sitting alongside each other appealed to me and I tried to create something equally uplifting and wistful.” On the accompanying video, Smith says "I wanted something that illustrated the words because there's a lot of imagery that might get lost on the listener."

Contradictions took four years to write and record, having begun life on the road at the point Paul assembled his ‘Intimations’, Andrew Hodson (drums) from electronic duo Warm Digits and Claire Adams (bass), to help tour his personal solo debut Margins. The album finds Paul in a more reflective state opposed to the adrenaline-fuelled pop choruses he’s been known for up to now and is a clearer, more hi-fi progression from Margins’ melancholy. The album also features guest turns from Prefab Sprout’s Wendy Smith, Silver Fox's Rachel Lancaster and Field Music's Peter Brewis, the latter of which Smith released a chamber pop record with - 'Frozen By Sight' - to much acclaim last year.

”I only ever want to release music that I feel adds something new to the world, however small”, Smith says, “and I'm confident that Contradictions is an alternative pop record that fulfils my own criteria.”