Chromatics have surprise released their 7th studio album Closer To Grey (Italians Do It Better) today. While this is the band’s first new album in seven years, it is not the much promised Dear Tommy LP hyped since 2014. Adding further intrigue to the mystery, Closer To Grey is billed as the band’s 7th album, though it follows-up on their 5th studio effort, 2012’s Kill For Love.
Between 2014 and 2018, Chromatics released a smattering of tracks like “Time Rider,” “Blue Girl,” and “Black Walls” in anticipation of Dear Tommy. But, in May of 2017, the band’s former manager Alexis Rivera revealed via Twitter, that the group’s enigmatic producer/multi-instrumentalist Johnny Jewel had destroyed all copies of the record after a near-death experience in Hawaii on Christmas Day of 2015. However, in May of 2018, Dear Tommy was once again promised for a Fall release of that year, with Rivera’s statement: “…same titles, same lyrics, same track order, as when it was announced Dec of 2014. Nothing’s changed except it’s better.”
Needless to say, 2018 passed with no further signs of Dear Tommy. While the fact that Closer To Grey is billed as the band’s 7th album, we can still hold out hope that Dear Tommy will one day appear. No point holding your breath though, especially when we have twelve brand new tracks from Ruth Radelet and company.
Chromatics will play the Pitchfork Music Festival in Paris on November 1st. You can check out a full list of the band’s upcoming dates after the Spotify link below…
Chromatics Live 2019:
10/04/2019 – Copenhagen- Store Vega
10/05/2019 – Stockholm – Berns
10/07/2019 – Oslo – Rockefeller Music Hall
10/09/2019 – Berlin – Astra Kulturhaus
10/11/2019 – Vilnius – Art Factory Loftas
10/12/2019 – Warsaw – Praga Centrum
10/14/2019 – Vienna – Arena
10/16/2019 – Prague – MeetFactory*
10/17/2019 – Munich – Muffathalle
10/19/2019 – Cologne - Bürgerhaus Stollwerck
10/22/2019 – Dublin – Vicar Street
10/23/2019 – Manchester – Albert Hall
10/24/2019 – Glasgow – SWG3
10/26/2019 – Bristol – Anson Rooms
10/27/2019 – London – The Roundhouse
10/29/2019 – Antwerp – Trix
10/30/2019 – Amsterdam – Paradiso
11/01/2019 – Paris – Pitchfork Festival
11/02/2019 – Torino – Club To Club
