The songs-and-storytime innocence of classic children’s television fingerpaints primary colours over Sweet Baboo’s latest single, The Worry, a painstakingly constructed ode to joy and a harder-than-it-looks experiment in the most direct of direct songwriting. Drawn from his imminently released, seventh album The Wreckage, the single’s gamboling rally against letting negative thoughts creep in is sung with abundant, crayon-drawn, crepe-paper and sticky-backed plastic heart, from parent to child, while inviting grown-ups to practice what they preach.
Set for release on his own Amazing Tapes From Canton label on Fri 27 January 2023, the latest Sweet Baboo album, released after a five-year hiatus, lands at the start of Stephen Black’s fifteenth year writing, recording and performing songs under the pen name. Gifting the world songs of everyday romance, observational candour and frequent, dark comedy for a decade and a half, the Sweet Baboo clock started with the release of his rare and sought-after, 2008 debut album, The Mighty Baboo.
Introducing The Wreckage by revealing first, summer 2022 single Hopeless, followed by the H Hawkline-written Good Luck and the plant-loving/threatening hymn to good health, Horticulture, listeners have been treated to more of Black’s translations of the humdrum and down-at-heel into charming, off-kilter, folk-pop works of art. In the case of The Worry, Black draws on parenthood, going back to his own childhood and getting a famous theme tune stuck in his head. At pains to cut out the adult noise in his head and striving for affecting simplicity, it turned out to be amongst the album’s most strenuous writing tasks.
He says: “This is the oldest song on the album and, although it’s kind of like a throwaway kids’ tune, it took me a long time to get the lyrics right. I wanted the lyrics to be as direct as possible. No trimmings. I think it’s me telling either myself, or my son, or both that there’s no need to worry. Like a mantra. I think that’s easier said than done. In my mind the Rainbow theme tune was inspiration.”
During the period of not being Sweet Baboo, Cardiff-based Black remained happily active at the heart of Wales’s community of progressive musicians, frequently found in the touring and recording bands of Gruff Rhys and Cate Le Bon as well as more recently with Euros Childs in Scottish kindred spirits Teenage Fanclub. The latest Sweet Baboo release brings together Boy Azooga’s Davey Newington on drums with Group Listening band mate, Paul Jones on synths and both Jodie Marie and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-nominated singer-songwriter, Georgia Ruth joining on vocals.
At the same time as announcing his return to the studio, Black announced an extended period on the road in 2023, starting in Birkenhead (15 Feb 23). The tour winds its way from the Wirral to London (22 Feb 23), Manchester (1 Mar 23) and Cardiff (18 Mar 23) before the 21-dates conclude in Nottingham (25 Mar 23). All dates on the upcoming The Wreckage 2023 Tour are as follows:
February 2023
- Wed 15 Feb – Birkenhead, Future Yard
- Thu 16 Feb - Glasgow, Hug & Pint
- Fri 17 Feb – Sunderland, Pop Records
- Tue 21 Feb - St Leonards on Sea, Marina Fountain
- Wed 22 Feb – London, The Victoria
- Thu 23 Feb – Ramsgate, Ramsgate Music Hall
- Fri 24 Feb – Brighton, Komedia Studio
- Sat 25 Feb – Oxford, Florence Park Community Centre
March
- Wed 1 Mar – Manchester, Deaf Institute
- Thu 2 Mar – Halifax, The Grayston Unity
- Fri 3 Mar – Leeds, Hyde Park Book Club
- Sat 4 Mar – Aldershot, West End Centre
- Fri 10 Mar – Totnes, New Lion Brewery
- Sat 11 Mar – Falmouth, Cornish Bank
- Sun 12 Mar – Stroud, Prince Albert
- Thu 16 Mar – Aberystwyth, Bank Vault
- Fri 17 Mar – Rhayader, The Lost Arc
- Sat 18 Mar – Cardiff, Chapter
- Wed 22 Mar – Leicester, The Firebug
- Fri 24 Mar – Birmingham, Sunflower Lounge
- Sat 25 Mar – Nottingham, JT Soars, Nottingham