Pink Cactus Cafe: Courteeners Comeback Album Sparks Joy

Credit: Michael Clements

There are few bands as defined by their hometown as Courteeners. Their relationship with Manchester is almost symbiotic. For many, including myself, St Jude serves as a perfect soundtrack to life in the city – with its standout track and all-time festival anthem 'Not Nineteen Forever' based around a night out in 42s. Through writing about its streets and its people so intensely and intimately, Courteeners have inspired great reverence from the music lovers of Manchester, which the band returns with open arms – 'The Opener' is a literal love letter to the city, where frontman Liam Fray even apologises for unfaithfully visiting Doncaster.

Fans have responded in droves. Courteeners have no trouble selling out fifty thousand tickets to Heaton Park – the same spot Oasis will grace next summer. Their gigs guarantee crowd surfers, mosh pits, and the constant lighting of flares. Yet, in London, Courteeners play Brixton Academy. This is not to say the band are only successful up north (they pack plenty of festival fields up and down the country) but there is no denying that Manchester is the band’s epicentre.

With all this said, it would be easy for the band to sit back and play their hits, serving up what their avid fans want. This was certainly the case last summer when the band toured their debut album in full. And whilst those songs certainly haven’t lost their charm, it would be fair to wonder if the band’s train of creativity was coming to a halt – especially after a lacklustre previous release.

Credit: Gary Mather @ Stage Dive Photography

Yet, on Pink Cactus Café, Courteeners cast their ambitions wider than the streets and sounds which have previously defined them, silencing any doubts of their stalling by serving up pop-inflected melodies and producing their richest effort for many years. To my ears, it is the most pleasant surprise of 2024.

The album is the first to feature previous touring members Joe Cross and Elina Lin. This new blood breathes fresh life into plenty of tracks. Standout, 'Where Are We Now?', utilises Lin’s keyboards as a driving force behind an infectious chorus. How this wasn’t a single is beyond me.

All the songs prove lighter on their feet, with earworm choruses and tight hooks. Blossoms producer and The Coral frontman James Skelly may well be responsible for the effectiveness of this indie-pop sound, bringing brightness to a band who have often written tracks from a very critical perspective. Here, Fray seems content to create with others, bringing collaborators in rather than poking fun at the posers. The result is joyous.

Utilising collaborators, such as Scottish soul singer Brooke Combe, is a first for the band, highlighting just how willing they were to try something new. Whilst Combe’s feature is a little under-utilised (relegated to backing vocals), Pixey’s inclusion on 'First Name Terms' helps elevate Fray’s lead vocals, which even avid fans of the band would admit are starting to strain.

The DMA’s collaboration on 'The Beginning of the End' offers a more traditional Courteeners track and is likely to delight fans of both bands by doing so. It’s clear that, if they wanted to, Courteeners could have tapped into the indie rock wheelhouse once more. But, to my surprise, I am delighted they did not. Diverting from their old sound and treading new ground is exactly what gives this album an edge over their other efforts.

Credit: Ignition Records

Now, I don’t want to give the impression that Pink Cactus Café is a revolutionary album. The indie scene will not be experiencing shockwaves from its release. To many, Courteeners will forever be just another 42s band. Plus, whilst there are no real duds on the album, it does admittedly lack a song to match the highs of previous efforts – such as 'The 17th'. Instead, Courteeners trade standout singles for consistency and a feel-good, relaxed atmosphere. Fray and co. are content with others thinking whatever they like. They are no longer the indie kids fighting for space at the bar. They have earned their spot. And, by taking these risks and letting the sun shine through the curtains, they know they have produced their best album, "song for song", in years.

This sense of contentment and self-acceptance is alive throughout the album. The eponymous café is a reference to the serenity of spaces where we feel safe, whether that be a holiday destination or a song that lets us escape our reality. In a full circle moment, Courteeners may have constructed just that for their fans, these songs providing a little oasis of sunshine painted in Fray’s signature poetry of the everyday.

When you next find yourself under pressure or tired from another long day, here is a half-hour solution. Put down the post-punk, ignore the music snobs and relax with this album. It may be an easy listen, but that does not mean it is not a worthwhile one. If they can keep this streak going, Manchester’s affinity for these Middleton musicians will not wane anytime soon.