When British indie pop band the Boo Radleys called it quits in 1998, founding guitarist and songwriter Martin Carr began a solo career under the moniker Brave Captain, releasing a steady string of albums, EPs, and singles in the first half of the 2000s. His eclectic, more electronic-leaning songs were a far cry from the Radleys' guitar-based shoegaze style and were also notable for featuring Carr himself on vocals, something he rarely did in the old days. Following the release of 2006's Distractions LP, Carr abandoned the Brave Captain name, choosing instead to use his given name on 2009's Ye Gods (And Little Fishes). At this point in his career, the myriad of different styles and influences had begun to blend together into an amalgam of folk, baroque pop, country, dub, and a bit of Radleys-esque power pop. Aside from a 2012 single, Carr remained relatively quiet over the next several years before returning in September 2014 with his second proper solo album, The Breaks, which was issued by German label Tapete. After spending much of the next year writing songs and feeling like he was stuck, Carr was profoundly affected by the death of David Bowie. He set aside the songs he was working on and resolved to write and record an album that reflected his true artistic self. He holed up in his Cardiff home studio and began work, often recording a song as he was writing it and deconstructing his usual work process by sampling sounds and then playing them back on a keyboard. After six months of working, Carr set aside the songs, but after recording a single with the help of producer Greg Haver and mixer Clint Murphy ("Gold Lift"), he used the same team to finish the album. The soul-searching, almost guitar-free New Shapes of Life was released by Tapete in late 2017. ~ Timothy Monger