Offaly music columnist reviews 'Take That's' new album

One of the UK’s most successful bands,  Take That,  recently announced their return with a huge stadium and arena live tour for 2024 alongside news of their ninth studio album  This Life, set for release 24th November. To celebrate the news further, Take That also unleashed their brand-new single  Windows  and more recently  Windows  acoustic, which are both out NOW!

This Life On Tour  will see the trio - Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald – play 29 dates across 15 cities around the UK and a now sold out, Ireland (22nd + 23rd April). They will be joined on the tour by very special guest, Olly Murs.

Take That are renowned for their huge productions and incredible live shows, and currently hold the record for the most performances at London’s The O2 with 34 headline shows. 2011’s  Progress  tour broke box office records by selling over 1 million tickets in less than 24 hours, becoming the biggest tour in the UK and earning them a place on Billboard’s annual ‘Top 25 Tours’ list, placing third worldwide. In 2019, the band celebrated their 30th anniversary with the 38 date sell-out  Odyssey  tour which saw them play to 29 arenas and 9 stadiums, selling over 650,000 tickets.

Take That’s brand new single,  Windows  - sees them reunite for their first original composition in over five years.  Windows, is a beautiful track which tells the story of emerging from the darkness into the light. As a familiar falsetto rings out across the opening notes of  Windows, it signals a new era for one of Britain’s best selling bands, Take That; an era brimming with energy, creativity and a continued desire to challenge and surprise.

The musicality of  Windows  hints at what listeners can expect from  This Life, the band’s ninth studio album and their first since 2017’s  Wonderland. Beautiful melodies, soaring choruses, sophisticated harmonies beautifully blending the trio’s voices permeate the new album, due for release on 24th November.

“It’s been a wonderful experience being back in the studio together making this record. It has that feeling of spreading your wings, letting out the old and bringing in the new”  commented the band.  'We’re incredibly proud of the new album - there’s a sense of togetherness, whether that’s us coming back together as a band or people wanting connection in their own lives. We’re excited for this new chapter!”

Throughout the writing and recording process, the band honed this new sound in some of music’s most hallowed halls, including New York’s Electric Lady Studios and Nashville’s Historic RCA Studio A which between them have hosted David Bowie, Dolly Parton, The Beach Boys, Adele, Taylor Swift, Maggie Rogers and more.

Windows  and upcoming album  This Life  continues the legacy of one of the most successful bands in British chart history, with over 45 million records sold worldwide and 12 Number 1 hits in the UK.

For a band 30+ years into their career, Take That are not standing still; constantly evolving, the future looks bright for the trio.

Formed as a five-piece in 1989, Take That enjoyed immediate success with their first two albums charting at Number 2 and Number 1 respectively. Third album  Nobody Else  confirmed their global domination, selling over six million copies and topping the charts in 11 countries. The departure of band member Robbie Williams prompted a break-up in 1996 and nine years in the wilderness before the remaining four members reunited for 2005’s  The Ultimate Tour.  This sparked one of the greatest comebacks in British music history with Take That going on to release three Number 1 albums in just four years. Robbie’s return for 2011’s  Progress  saw them break UK records for the fastest-selling album of the 21st century and fastest-selling tour of all time. Williams’ second departure, along with that of Jason Orange, left the remaining three members to release  III  and 2017’s  Wonderland, which were certified platinum and gold respectively.

The band celebrated their 30th anniversary with the release of  Odyssey  in 2018, a greatest hits album of beautifully re-imagined versions of some of the biggest tracks from their three-decade-spanning career. The album entered the charts at Number 1 and was closely followed by a critically acclaimed UK and European stadium and arena tour in 2019.

~  Windows, the brand new single from Take that, is out now. The band's new album -  This Life  - will be released on all platforms on November 24th.