Soft Cell are back with ‘*Happiness Not Included’ – their first studio album in two decades. 

The new collection is the duo’s fifth overall and the first from Marc Almond and Dave Ball since ‘Cruelty Without Beauty’ in 2002. 

“In this album I wanted to look at us as a society: a place where we have chosen to put profits before people, money before morality and decency, food before the rights of animals, fanaticism before fairness and our own trivial comforts before the unspeakable agonies of others,” says Marc.

“But in the album there is also a belief that there is a utopia if we can peel back the layers and understand what really matters.”

Dave adds: “Recorded remotely during a world pandemic. Science fiction stories for the 21st century.”

‘*Happiness Not Included’ is available to pre-order across formats. 

Tracklist: Soft Cell – *Happiness Not Included

1. Happy Happy Happy
2. Polaroid
3. Bruises On My Illusions
4. Purple Zone
5. Heart Like Chernobyl
6. Light Sleepers
7. *Happiness Not Included
8. Nostalgia Machine
9. Nighthawks
10. I’m Not A Friend Of God
11. Tranquiliser
12. New Eden

Soft Cell’s return to the studio came about after the Tainted Love hitmakers played London’s The O2 arena in 2018 and realised they hadn’t seen each other since their last LP. 

And they’ll return to the stage in November for a new five-date UK Tour, which will see the pair previewing tracks from ‘*Happiness Not Included’, alongside their greatest hits. 

The shows will also see the duo perform their seminal 1981 debut album ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret’ in full for the first time.

Tickets go on general sale from 10 am BST on August 6.

The full list of tour dates is as follows: 
10 November 2021        O2 Academy, Glasgow
12 November 2021        O2 Apollo, Manchester
13 November 2021        O2 Academy, Leeds
15 November 2021        Hammersmith Apollo, London
16 November 2021        Hammersmith Apollo, London