Sartorial Records is delighted to announce the UK release of Nun Lover!, the first album from Spleen in over ten years. The band was formed in the mid-nineties as an outlet for Rob Ellis, the mainstay of many PJ Harvey line-ups, to realise his own music which is as influenced by Ligeti as it is by Tom Waits or The Magic Band. Past incarnations of the band have included John Parish, Tim Farthing, Pinkie MacLure, Mike Smith (of Blur / Gorillaz fame), Terry Edwards and, of course, Polly Harvey herself.

The 21st Century Spleen consists of guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, noted for his work with Beck, Sparks, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Butthole Surfers and Moris Tepper – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg of his CV! – alongside Cristiano Godano, frontman of Italian rock band Marlene Kunzt (best known for the runaway success album Che cosa vedi featuring a duet with Skin of Skunk Anansie). Renowned bassist Giorgio Vendola, sidesman with Italian jazz giants Gaetano Partipilo, Roberto Ottaviano and Mirko Signorile, completes
the rhythm section alongside Ellis on drums (and several other instruments).

Nun Lover! was recorded in a single night-time session with this nucleus of four musicians, with vocals added some weeks later after fine-tuning the tracks. Musically Rob Ellis has taken the “warped avant-funky blues” (Jon Fletcher Gigwise.com) and come up with something challenging and accessible at the same time – it’s a refreshing rarity, an album
that bears repeated listening in it’s entirety.