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Babal — Running in the Gutter
(Fruits de Mer Friends of the Fish 86, 2025, LP / DL / CD)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2025-11-23

Running in the Gutter Cover art

Running in the Gutter is Babal’s thirteenth album and their first on Fruits de Mer. Babal is a UK band consisting of Karen Langley (vocals and arrangements), Rob Williams (guitar, guitar synth, and programming), and Jon Sharp (drums), plus guest artists Paul Smith (acoustic bass) and Chris Gill (bass). It’s a post rock band, with Running in the Gutter being a social commentary across six tracks: “One Big Family,” “The Best Restaurants,” “The World That We Know,” “Cake Music,” “We Shall Be Fables,” and “Running in the Gutter.” Each of the songs has intriguing and melodic proggy instrumental intros that last a couple of minutes. “One Big Family” is a full-on attack on social media. “The Best Restaurants” contrasts poverty with wealth. “The World That We Know” is a harsh, raw rallying song to the possibility of extinction. “Cake Music” is a satirical look at neo-liberalism and virtue signaling. “We Shall Be Fables” reminds the listener of our mortality. And the closing title track is a love song with the hope that love can make a difference in our lives. Definitely not an uplifting album with its negative focus on life. Difficult to describe. Other reviewers have cited elements of Crass, Captain Beefheart, Cardiacs, and David Byrne. If you enjoy dreamy prog mixed with some raw moments and social commentary, Babal may be just what you are looking for.

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Babal

More info
http://babal.bandcamp.com/album/running-in-the-gutter

 

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