Saturday Deluxe / 15 August 2015

Duran Duran ‘drop’ title track of new album

If you were underwhelmed by Pressure Off, the first song Duran Duran put out from their forthcoming Paper Gods album, perhaps you’ll enjoy the title track which perhaps isn’t quite as eager to please. This is DD firmly in ‘album track’ territory, as the song – which features “Mr Hudson” (who?) –  goes on for seven minutes and is apparently structurally ‘free’ to do what it wants.

Paper Gods starts with some rather lovely harmony vocals before Simon Le Bon breaks in telling us to “Bow to the paper gods, in a world that is paper thin“. He holds an impressive high note when he sings “Fools leading, who needs it…” and just as you are wondering if this is some kind of acappella, the clicky, blimpy beats come in around the minute mark. Nice!

The track benefits from some great flowing and well-structured verses with SLB singing with real conviction (“don’t complain about it“). Everything slows down again for the chorus and at the four and a half minute mark the song ‘breaks down’ for the slow refrain of “Paper Gods falling down, paper house, paper town“. After that it’s BIG choruses to fade, with more talk of ‘money shots’ and some nice synth work.

I like it! Paper Gods is thoughtful and impressive. Although it perhaps doesn’t quite surpass the sum of its parts, those parts are all very good; great intro, strong verses (a weakness in recent years), semi-anthemic chorus, great beats and a lyric that appears to stick it to ‘the man’.

I’m now enthused again about the new album.You can listen to Paper Gods below. Leave a comment and let me know what you think…



Paper Gods is released on 18 September 2015.

CD Deluxe Edition

• • UK Pre-order: Paper Gods (Deluxe Version)
• • USA Pre-order: Paper Gods (Deluxe)
• • GERMANY Pre-order: Paper Gods (Deluxe Version)
• • France Pre-order: Paper Gods (Deluxe Version)

Vinyl 2LP

• • UK Pre-order: Paper Gods [VINYL]
• • USA Pre-order: Paper Gods
• • CANADA Pre-order: Paper Gods (Vinyl)
• • GERMANY Pre-order: Paper Gods [Vinyl LP]
• • FRANCE Pre-order: Paper Gods
• • ITALY Pre-order: Paper Gods

CD Standard Edition

• • UK Pre-order: Paper Gods
• • USA Pre-order: Paper Gods
• • GERMANY Pre-order: Paper Gods
• • SPAIN Pre-order: Paper Gods
• • FRANCE Pre-order: Paper Gods
• • ITALY Pre-order: Paper Gods

Special Bundles

• Order bundles from Warner’s UK/Europe Store
• Order bundles from Warner’s US Store

Track listing 

• 1. Paper Gods (feat. Mr Hudson)
• 2. Last Night In The City (feat. Kiesza)
• 3. You Kill Me With Silence
• 4. Pressure Off (feat. Janelle Monáe and Nile Rodgers)
• 5. Face For Today
• 6. Danceophobia
• 7. What Are The Chances?
• 8. Sunset Garage
• 9. Change The Skyline (feat. Jonas Bjerre)
• 10. Butterfly Girl
• 11. Only In Dreams
• 12. The Universe Alone
• 13. Planet Roaring (Bonus Track)*
• 14. Valentine Stones (Bonus Track)*
• 15. Northern Lights (Bonus Track)*

*Deluxe only