Public Works and Utilities<\/em> is the sixth Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan album in less than five years and continues to explore new towns and the demise of the post-war consensus. This time, Gordon\u2019s gaze falls on our public services that have been starved of cash or privatised since 1980.<\/p>\n\u201cIt seems ridiculous in hindsight for a developed country to have packed up and sold off vital infrastructure such as power, water or the rail network,\u201d he says. \u201cForty years down the line, and all of these vital industries are barely functional. Their prime function now is to drain cash from our pockets and into the bulging wallets of shareholders.\u201d<\/p>\n
This anger continues to power Gordon\u2019s desire to make Warrington-Runcorn a statement for the here and now, with the themes more relevant than ever, rather than an exercise in rose-tinted nostalgia. As the epic, 18-minute album closer will attest, \u2018The People Matter\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis album very much came from my live shows,\u201d says Gordon. \u201cA lot of these tracks were designed to be performed live, and you will have heard quite a few of them if you\u2019ve seen me live in the last year.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a result, there is a certain rawness, not to mention an almost upbeat danceable quality. The atmosphere of the previous albums has become fused with an urge to get you to move your feet.<\/p>\n
The full tracklisting of Public Works and Utilities is:<\/p>\n
1. Swift Safe And Comfortable<\/p>\n
2. Sunset Over Stanlow<\/p>\n
3. 800 Yards Down At Ince Six Feet<\/p>\n
4. Water Treatment Works<\/p>\n
5. Renewal And Regeneration<\/p>\n
6. The People Matter<\/p>\n
Released on the same day as the new album, the compilation Appendix I<\/em> brings together three Warrington-Runcorn EPs onto CD for the first time, bringing together some of the more esoteric elements of the world of musical new town planning.<\/p>\nBuilding A New Town<\/em> from 2023 moved the reference point of Warrington-Runcorn back from the synth-drenched late-\u201970s to the more post-psychedelic, folk infused world of Mike Oldfield and Pentangle. The four tracks are guitar-led, but retain Gordon\u2019s mix of optimism and sinister atmosphere.<\/p>\nThe next EP, A Shared Sense Of Purpose was the lead single from last year\u2019s Your Community Hub album, and released in both 7\u201d and 12\u201d versions. This CD takes the single edit from the 7\u201d, and adds the bonus tracks from the 12\u201d \u2013 including a remix from the legendary Vince Clarke, and a another guitar-led folk remix of the title track.<\/p>\n
Lastly, Overspill Estates adds four songs taken from the sessions for Your Community Hub that didn\u2019t make it onto the final album.<\/p>\n
Listen to Appendix I<\/p>\n
The full tracklisting of Appendix I is:<\/p>\n
1. A Fresh Dawn For North Cheshire<\/p>\n
2. The View From Halton Castle<\/p>\n
3. Solid Foundations<\/p>\n
4. The Cornerstone<\/p>\n
5. A Shared Sense Of Purpose (Single Edit)<\/p>\n
6. A Shared Sense Of Purpose (Vince Clarke remix)<\/p>\n
7. Oakwood<\/p>\n
8. A Shared Sense Of Purpose (1973 version)<\/p>\n
9. The People Of The Town<\/p>\n
10. All Mod Cons<\/p>\n
11. Open Green Spaces<\/p>\n
12. All You Need In Five Minutes Brisk Walk<\/p>\n
Published post no.2,655 \u2013 Friday 12 September 2025<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n