Hear the Stone Roses’ Sprawling New Song “Beautiful Thing”
The Stone Roses have released the new song “Beautiful Thing.” The second song the band has released after a more than two-decade songwriting hiatus, the percolating tune traverses funk-tipped grooves alongside some psychedelic touches over the course of a sprawling seven minutes.
The track, which was produced by Paul Epworth and recorded at London’s Church Studios, deals in everyday contradictions and going with the flow. “There was no crucifixion/ Just lies to steal your mind/ Now I know that you’re thinking/ That I’m running out of time,” Ian Brown sings over the churning melodies, adding, “There’s method to my madness/ Yes, there’s reason to my rhyme/ It’s a beautiful thing.” He later declares with seeming sarcasm that “You’re so hip” and points out some irony: “You say you love John Lennon/ You don’t want the world as one/ By all means necessary/ Yes, I have to sing my song.”
“Beautiful Thing” comes after their release of “All For One,” the first original song the band has debuted since 1994. Earlier this year the group confirmed they were working on a new album. This month, the Stone Roses are performing a handful of dates in Manchester. They follow-up their UK dates with their appearance at Madison Square Garden on June 30th, which is currently their only North American date for 2016.