Labi Siffre is releasing his first album in 28 years later this year.
Labi Siffre’s 1972 hit ‘Cannock Chase’ is having a bit of a resurgence at the moment after it was used in the outro of recent Norwegian drama Sentimental Value starring Elle Fanning (which you should 100% go and see if you haven’t already).
His track ‘Bless the Telephone’ has also recently blown up on TikTok, as the old tracks always do, and though Siffre’s career peaked in the 70s and 80s, he didn’t seem to mind too much.
He’s kept mostly out of the spotlight for the last couple decades aside from some very rare live performances and a single called ‘(Love Is Love Is Love) Why Isn’t Love Enough?’ back in 2020.
With Sentimental Value up for ‘Best Picture’ at the Oscars, though, it looks like all this attention might’ve stirred something up in Siffre, because he’s just announced his first new album in 28 years.
The album’s aptly called Unfinished Business, and though he hasn’t given fans an exact release date, it looks like it’ll be coming this year.
In 2022, BBC released an hour long documentary called Labi Siffre: This Is My Song about the life and times of Mr Siffre, and in it, he played a version of his original song ‘Far Away’ that’s only just been released today.
Siffre pretty much never performs live, but he’s teamed up again with BBC today in the Radio 2 Piano Room accompanied by their orchestra to play the new track and a few others, as well.
Thousands around the world are touched, and his return is being especially celebrated by the queer community as Siffre has been openly gay for his whole career – and it’s good timing too, with Mardi Gras just around the corner.
It’s nice to hear your voice again, Labi.
