Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic FC changed their name in the 70s to AFC Bournemouth, apparently in a bid to be first in the football books.
A, you imagine, are so called for much the same reason.
And my God, how MV loved them in the late 90s. They had chart success too, of course, and Jason Perry knows plenty about that world. As a producer, he’s worked with Busted, McFly and plenty more besides.
But after 21 years, they’re finally ready for another A record. And the first thing to say about Prang is this: it is absolutely, unmistakably, gloriously them.
“Hello Sunshine” is quirky from the off. “She thinks I’m a twat” is the sort of line only A could make into a huge chorus. Like The Wildhearts once said, “and now they’re back, it’s like they never went away.” No one sounded quite like this before, and no one has sounded like them since.
“Walkover” keeps the driving energy going, clever and immediate, before “Bring On The Likes” does something I definitely didn’t have on my 2026 bingo card: A go country. “Everything is ace down Center Parcs” might be the most A line ever written.
Then comes the change of pace. “Shit Summer” is Jason Perry baring his soul: “I’ve been living the dream of Viagra and sertraline.” I’ve experience of the latter, and it’s not fun. But that’s always been the thing with A. They can make a serious point in a fun way, and “All In” might be the best thing here because of it.
“Techno Viking” is proper punk, under two minutes and crammed full of ideas, while “Kings Of Lowestoft” is the rock star going country — or, in this case, going home. It is laid-back, 70s-tinged, and oddly lovely.
“Comment Leaver” has the world of social media and right-wing media firmly in its sights, “Back To The Shop” is the dancefloor filler and proud of it, and “Lifeline” closes things by underlining the point: there still isn’t a band that sounds like A. Even when the song is serious, they make it impossible to resist.
They have the same quirky, wilful streak as those other sons of Lowestoft, The Darkness — who get a namecheck here — but like them, it feels natural rather than forced.
Prang could have been a car crash. As a genuine fan, you dread bands returning after this long and tarnishing their legacy.
Instead, it’s brilliant. Exactly the record A should be making in 2026.
Welcome back.
Rating: 9/10
