Simply Red's latest album, Stay, is released today. I have been kept informed through the mailing list from the official web site, so I didn't want to wait any longer, and decided to try out the download function powered by 7digital.com, "the UK's leading digital media delivery company offering high quality music downloads..." This is probably the first time I bought things using the British pound sterling.

Quoted from the official myspace.

“Real life depicted in song” was the key line in the title track of ‘Home’ and four years on from that album’s multi-platinum success, real life is still the inspiration behind Simply Red’s songwriting. The brand new album ‘Stay’ released on March 12th continues along this road. The first half of the album is unashamedly romantic: “They’re love songs,” Mick admits with a smile, “and they reflect where and who I am right now.” On the album’s title track and the opener ‘The World And You Tonight’ he is exuberant and content and following on from last year’s testosterone-fuelled ‘Oh! What A Girl’ the second single ‘So Not Over You’ moves from heartache to happiness with a suitably passionate video shot in Cape Town (above). “It’s about a couple who broke up and then regret breaking up and yearn to get back together again. As in all happy endings they do get back together again… ‘now I’ve found a way to keep you there beside me to where my love won’t be denied…’ the sun’s coming through at the end!”

See also the official video podcasts, in which Mick Hucknall talked about the new album:

• Part 1
• Part 2