Babal - RUNNING IN THE GUTTER (2025)

The album Running in the Gutter is the thirteenth release by the UK post-rock band Babal and their first on the Fruits de Mer label. The group consists of Karen Langley (vocals, arrangements), Rob Williams (guitar, synth, programming), and Jon Sharp (drums), along with guest bassists. The album features six tracks offering strong social commentary. Songs, including "One Big Family," "The Best Restaurants," and "The World That We Know," critique social media, contrast wealth and poverty, and address themes of extinction, neo-liberalism, and human mortality. The title track is the sole hopeful love song. Each composition begins with a melodic, progressive instrumental intro. The album is characterized by its negative focus on life and is not uplifting. Its sound is difficult to describe but combines dreamy progressive rock with raw moments, drawing comparisons to artists such as Crass, Captain Beefheart, Cardiacs, and David Byrne.

Tracklist:
1-1 Babal - ONE BIG FAMILY [5:18]
1-2 Babal - THE BEST RESTAURANTS [8:52]
1-3 Babal - THE WORLD THAT WE KNOW [8:01]
1-4 Babal - CAKE MUSIC [7:32]
1-5 Babal - WE SHALL BE FABLES [5:35]
1-6 Babal - RUNNING IN THE GUTTER [9:05]