Draft:A Living Commodity

A Living Commodity is the debut studio album by British post-punk band Egyptian Blue, released by independent label Yala Records on 27 October 2023.

Background and recording
Recording of the debut album was contracted and planned to occur prior to 2020, but delayed following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, with lead Andy Buss describing the album as evolving into a "more fully shaped and finessed" product over the course of the pandemic. In contrast to the band's previous EPs, Collateral Damage and Body of Itch, where songs were written and immediately recorded, Egyptian Blue wrote over thirty songs for the record, although included re-recordings of previous songs including Nylon Wire. Buss described the album as taking a split form of having a "more agressive, more punky start" then "transposing into a more emotional and sadder, softer body of work", which developed organically from the direction taken from the track Apparent Cause. The album was recorded with English Teacher producer Theo Verney in Brighton over the course of one month.

Release and promotion
The debut single, Skin, was released with the announcement of the album on 17 July 2023. A Living Commodity was released on 27 October 2023, being published by Yala Records, the label of The Maccabees frontman Felix White. Egyptian Blue toured the United Kingdom over November in promotion of the album, including a headline show at 100 Club in London. A music video was released in October for Salt, starring actor and comedian Tim Key.

Critical reception
Charlotte Grimwade of Clash considered the album to be a "refreshing blend and reinvention of classic punk and indie rock", assessing the release as a more assured and mature release from the band. Describing the album as a "restless and rewarding experience", Jack Terry of DIY commended the album for its "infectious" and "irresistible hooks", although found the album to be frontloaded and have a more "languishing" pace in its second half. Comparing the album to the "guitar-driven vigour and angular riffs" of Gang of Four, Irina Shtreis of NME found the "directness" of the album to compromise its subtlety.

Personnel

 * Andy Buss, Isaac Ide, Leith Ambrose, Luke Phelps - performer
 * Jack Devonshire - saxophone
 * Theo Verney - recording, mixing
 * Christoph Skirl - engineer