UK indie rock darlings Palace recently returned with their latest album, Ultrasound.
Their fourth record, Ultrasound, reunites the band – frontman Leo Wyndham, drummer Matt Hodges, and guitarist Rupert Turner – with longtime collaborator Adam Jaffrey after eight years since their debut album, So Long Forever.
Following their 2023 companion EPs, Part I – When Everything Was Lost and Part II – Nightmares & Ice Cream, the album features the lead single “Bleach”.
The 13-track collection features a diverse range of sounds, from “chilling ozone rock with a hint of Bon Iver, to languid and lustrous pop-gaze trio of songs to hallucinogenic tracks based on dreams it’s an emotive journey of reconciliation, acceptance and love.”
While working on songs for the album, lead singer Leo Wyndham’s partner suffered a late miscarriage. Naturally, Ultrasound became a candid diary of their year-long journey from devastation to healing.
“It was incredibly hard to comprehend what had happened, how to deal with it and how to move forward,” Wyndham says. “The album is the journey of that experience – starting with a loss, then a period of processing, and then finally acceptance, release and growth. And being in awe of women within that. Their dignity, strength and courage in how they can deal with these things that feel beyond a man.”
The album has earned critical acclaim in the UK press, with Paste Magazine praising how it “uplifts their established talents and offers a touching portrait of unimaginable loss and recalibrated love,” while Far Out Magazine describes it as “a beautiful portrait of something difficult to convey”.
Wyndham also discussed the album’s themes and sound with NME ahead of the band’s appearance at Coachella last weekend.
Familiar with Australian and New Zealand audiences, Palace toured nationally in Australia in 2022 and returned last July for performances at Splendour in the Grass and Perth side shows. They also made their debut in New Zealand with shows in Auckland and Wellington.
Listen to the full album below, and watch the video for album highlight “Son” above, which also happens to be Rolling Stone AU/NZ‘s Video of the Week!
Palace – Ultrasound is out out now via Fiction Records / Virgin Music Group.
