Ahead of the release of his debut album Signs of Life, Neil Gaiman has shared a new song called “The Wreckers.” Listen to the track below.
“The Wreckers” began as a poem Gaiman wrote for his friend who suffered a miscarriage. While working on Signs of Life with Australia’s FourPlay String Quartet, the writer read the poem aloud and asked the orchestra to set it to music. The result is a haunting drone of cello that drops out when Gaiman’s words are especially rough.
“Huge moments of surprise that leave you wrecked,” Gaiman begins. He tries to offer consolation by proclaiming that life offers no accidents, but still admits, to complete silence, “But nature lost a daughter, who remains six seeds of pomegranate dead today.”
“The Wreckers” appears on Signs of Life, which is out April 28th via Instrumental Recordings. The 12-track album comprises collaborative songs between Gaiman and the FourPlay String Quartet, as well as poems and stories written by Gaiman set to the quartet’s music, two “covers” of songs from Gaiman’s previous projects, and an instrumental inspired by Gaiman’s work. Previously, Gaiman shared the songs “Bloody Sunrise” and “Credo.”
Outside of music, Gaiman’s Netflix series The Sandman was just renewed for Season 2.
