We’re glad the Wedding Present have endured. Maybe they’re not kicking our asses like they did in the Bizarro, Seamonsters, and Watusi eras, but over the years David Gedge’s definitely proven he has plenty of wry gifts left to give. The quartet’s forthcoming El Ray LP was recorded by Steve Albini, who also recored the awesome aforementioned Seamonsters and some EPs. Two of the new ones are streaming over at the band’s MySpace, where they’ve also posted this bit from a Gedge interview in MOJO:

“I’ve been living in West Hollywood for the last year or so, and while I’m not going to claim that this is my ‘L. A.’ album, there are some references, I suppose. The album themes are lust, jealousy, betrayal, regret, obsession, super-heroes… the usual! We chose to record with Steve this time because the new songs were sounding very guitarry and quite dark. It’s been good. As you’d imagine, really; Albini knows his stuff.”

That he does.

El Ray is out 5/20 in the US on Manifesto and 5/26 in the UK via Vibrant.