Haunted Bill Pritchard

• 1 Perpetual Tourist 02:22
• 2 Smile 03:35
• 3 The Quarter 04:00
• 4 Curious Feeling 03:08
• 5 Suburb Of The World 03:34
• 6 Sweet Melody 02:01
• 7 Intrigue And Wonder 02:50
• 8 Lillie 05:01
• 9 Haunted 03:55
• 10 Sunsets In Poland 01:44
• 11 Imperfect 03:41
• 12 Oxygen 02:42
• Total Runtime 38:33

Info for Haunted

Bill Pritchard Returns with Haunted, his Most Pop-Forward Album Since Jolie.

Released on Tapete, Bill Pritchard’s new album Haunted finds the acclaimed British songwriter at the height of his lyrical wit and melodic craft. A life’s work of sharp observation and quiet beauty, Pritchard has long been praised for his ability to elevate the ordinary into something extraordinary. With Haunted, he delivers a sophisticated, deeply personal collection of songs revolving around the memories that linger: people, places, and passions, whether real or imagined, remembered or refracted.

His 1990s album Jolie remains a touchstone of intelligent pop, and later releases like Mother Town Hall have been celebrated for their warm, idiosyncratic retro sensibilities. More recently, his collaboration Sings Poems by Patrick Woodcock showcased his depth and willingness to experiment. Now, with Haunted, Pritchard delivers his most direct and pop-leaning album in decades.

Recorded between Hamburg and Newcastle-under-Lyme, Haunted reflects the international spirit of Pritchard’s music, blending vintage textures with modern production. Supported by an inspired network of Hamburg-based musicians and guided closely by Pritchard himself, the album spans vintage drum machines, brass flourishes, chiming guitars, lush harmonies, and even a touch of psychedelia. The result is a refreshingly European pop record, organic, eclectic, and deeply resonant.

Thematically, Haunted explores how the past never quite leaves us. From the simple act of riding a bus through Stoke Newington, transformed into a gentle hymn to the everyday, to recollections of semi-real and semi-fictional torch singers and the resilience they embodied, these songs find inspiration in both the mundane and the monumental. They celebrate detachment and lightness too: moments that float on breezy organ lines, jangling guitars, and nimble bass runs, smiling even in the face of uncertainty.

Throughout the album, Pritchard paints vivid vignettes. Bright horns and rippling guitars illuminate fleeting scenes, while hand percussion and chiming guitars evoke childhood wonder and the bittersweet recognition of how we grow apart. Elsewhere, blooming brass-driven rock captures the joy of performance and resistance, while acoustic moments turn inward, bruised but tender, reflecting on a life lived and remembered. A song of sunsets in Poland carries loneliness across an indie-pop sway, while playful language games sketch stories set in France, where the very form becomes part of the tale. Finally, the stripped-back closer, born from the thought of new life and breath itself, distills the album into its most intimate, beautiful moment.

With influences ranging from Scott Walker to the Lemon Twigs, Walter Matthau to French poet Berreby, Haunted is a record of whimsy and wonder, melancholy and joy. These songs reflect the musings of a true “perpetual tourist,” charting both real and imagined encounters through timeless, sophisticated pop.

Bill Pritchard

Bill Pritchard
A stranger in his own country. Although born in England, this multi-talented artist was unknown in his homeland for a long time. As a singer-songwriter, arranger, and producer, the Brit released an album in Belgium in 1988. With his artistically sophisticated synth pop, Pritchard first conquered the Belgian market, then the entire French market. Pritchard collaborated with French music greats such as Daniel Darc, Étienne Daho, and Françoise Hardy. In the early 90s, he also made his breakthrough in the US with his single “Tommy & Co.”

The singer switched from cool 80s pop to guitar and analog instruments and once again captured the spirit of the times. Thanks to MTV, “Tommy & Co” was in heavy rotation in the early 90s. In collaboration with British rocker Ian Broudie, the next album, “Jolie,” was created. The melancholy of new wave perfectly suited Pritchard's new sound. Instead of synthesizers, Pritchard plays with his entire band in the studio. His cool style, paired with profound lyrics, make Pritchard relevant again in the decade of guitar music. Now also in Japan, Canada, and the rest of the world. Thanks to the internet, Bill Pritchard is now an insider tip worldwide. Of course, also in his own homeland...

This album contains no booklet.