Lightning in a Twilight Hour is the current project of Bobby Wratten, best known as the songwriter behind beloved indie pop group The Field Mice. What began as a new chapter has gradually grown into something of a reunion, with Anne Mari Davies and Michael Hiscock—both former Field Mice members—now central to the lineup. Together, they channel the wistful melodicism, introspection, and experimental spirit that made their earlier work so enduring, while also carving out new sonic territory. The band’s forthcoming third album sessions have already yielded a striking standalone 12″ single on Elefant Records, pairing two contrasting tracks. There’s More to Life Than Crooks is a six-minute piece that draws on the influence of Factory Records and Disco Inferno, combining drum machine, sequencer, and abrasive guitar textures with a luminous bassline from Hiscock. Written as an immediate reaction to world events, it embraces the Camus-inspired idea that “existence is an act of rebellion,” offering a pop song that shimmers with both urgency and beauty. Anne Mari Davies’ vocals soar on the chorus, lifting the track to radiant heights. On the reverse, Haar abandons pop form for something spectral: field recordings, feedback loops, shortwave radio, field recordings made at Dungeness, and Davies’ layered, wordless vocals drifting through an ominous landscape. Produced with longtime collaborator Ian Catt these songs extend Wratten’s long tradition of music as refuge and reflection — tender, searching, and never quite at rest. And today, we are proud to host the exclusive premiere of this magnificent single here on TRISTE©.

What Matt Haynes (Sarah Records founder) says: “This really is gorgeous. One of those rare songs which, irrespective of time considerations, demands to be something more than just a 7” or whatever the post-vinyl equivalent is – a “Blue Monday”, “Primitive Painters”, “Revolutionary Spirit” or, yes, “Missing The Moon!” Something that just sounds Big and Important”.

There’s More to Life Than Crooks/Haar will be out on September 5th via Elefant Records. A new Lightning In A Twilight Hour LP will be out later this year. Look HERE for more information on Lightning In A Twilight Hour.