Polite Bureaux – BRADFORD

Repping the home-grown talent of Bradford as it begins its journey as 2025’s City of Culture, Polite Bureaux release latest single simply titled BRADFORD today. Following extensive live dates last year, a return to the studio sees pending album Except Your Skint scheduled to land on 11th April, and this serves as an impressive introduction. Taking things down a pace from some of their more tumultuous tracks, it’s good to hear a different side to the music. Subdued, reflective and poignant, BRADFORD still packs a punch with its spoken word narrative detailing the urban landscape like a walk through the city after closing time, taking in the sights and memories that only locals would know. The comparison has been made before, but with lines like ‘heads up to John Street Market, meeting Mabel, Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit under the formica table…’ this aligns with John Cooper Clarke’s acerbic style and commentary beautifully.

If you liked last year’s Broke Biscuits (in my opinion the best single release of 2024), you’ll be good with this one too. Stick a note on your calendar for that album release and get along to see them live if you can – you won’t be disappointed.

Words by Siobhan

More from Polite Bureaux here

Check out what’s happening in Bradford for the City of Culture celebrations here

Published 24th January 2024