It’s taken The Man From Delmonte over three decades to release their first proper studio album, and honestly? It is worth the wait.

Released: 14th November 2025

Label: Self-Released

Format: CD / Vinyl / Digital

THREE DECADES…

It’s taken The Man From Delmonte over three decades to release their first proper studio album, and honestly? It is worth the wait. Better Things arrives not as a nostalgia trip or a cynical cash-grab reunion, but as something far more precious – a genuine continuation of a conversation that never really ended, just paused for an absurdly long time; it’s a testament to enduring simplicity and sharp storytelling. We have had to wait for it, but the knack to craft direct and unpretentious music with a sharp eye for the world we live in, has been well worth the wait. 

A CLICHÉ-FREE REUNION… OF SORTS

Better Things effortlessly sidesteps the reunion album clichés. There’s no desperate attempt to recapture former glories or chase modern trends. Instead, Mike West, Sheila Seal, Martin Vincent, and Howard Goody craft something that feels both timeless and entirely of the moment – a collection of songs that prove their peculiar magic was never dependent on populist culture.

The production approach tells you everything you need to know about this band’s priorities: recorded live together for the first time in their history, these tracks breathe with a real warmth that’s increasingly rare. The guitar structures are deceptively simple. Martin Vincent’s jangle and shimmer never overpowers but always serves; the restraint only makes the songs more compelling. There’s a confidence here in letting melodies speak for themselves, in trusting that a well-crafted hook can land with humility.

222 Charles Barry Crescent kicks things off with harmonies riding over bouncy, chiming guitars that immediately transport you back to the band’s heyday. “I suppose I haven’t changed so much in all these years,” West sings, and it’s a confession.

Believe Me arrives with an unexpected brass flourish before settling into something gorgeously bittersweet. West’s lyric cuts right to the bone: “Believe me, believe me, living with you is easy / compared to some things I have done.” The observations here are sharp and witty – that ability to capture the messy reality of relationships without being overly cynical; this is one of the strongest tracks on the album and it hovers in the mind for sometime after. 

WARM BEER BROODING

That said, the album’s centerpiece might be The International, a track that harks back to Manchester’s early indie scene with such vivid description that can whip you back to that dance floor in Delorian-esque fashion. Over a choppy post-punk riff, West reminisces: “I had two pounds for the door and three pounds more / Sometimes Gareth let me in, but you couldn’t rely on him.” It’s the kind of narrative storytelling that made The Man From Delmonte special in the first place. Anyone who spent their youth nursing a single beer through an entire gig will nod in agreement! 

Pink offers something different entirely – a joyous surf-pop confection with Hawaiian beach vibes that shouldn’t work but absolutely does. It’s one of those songs that dates back to the band’s original run, floating around as a demo for years, and hearing it finally realized in full is like finding a lost treasure. The simplicity of the arrangement – just guitar, bass, drums, and those glorious harmonies – proves these songs never needed elaborate production to shine. Monday Morning After delivers pure Buzzcocks-meets-Undertones energy, complete with a shambling guitar solo that’s pure joy. It’s the closest the album comes to reckless abandon. It’s a welcome burst of pure pop energy that shows these musicians cut their teeth at sweaty club gigs to devoted audiences. The album’s lead single, Everytime, showcases a more mature sound while maintaining that unmistakable Delmonte sound. 

MANCS OF THE WORD, UNITE (AND REMINISCE)

Contemporary tales blend seamlessly with these Manchester reminiscences throughout the record. Spanish Town offers a pointed observation of “little Englanders” whose prejudices masquerade as patriotism. It offers proof that West’s eye for social detail hasn’t dulled through the hiatus. Ugly Part Of Town brings his decades of experience as a working musician full circle, while Hey You tips its hat to Buddy Holly with such affection you can’t help but smile. It’s also a cracking vignette into life on the road and has the feel of a quickly scribbled diary entry. 

Better Things, the title track, epitomizes everything that makes this album special. There is gorgeous melody, honest emotion, and that ineffable quality that’s always set this band apart from their Manchester contemporaries. The closing track, Lebanese American, completes the journey with a song that originally appeared on grainy tapes back of the 90s, now given the studio treatment it always deserved.

SELF-RELEASED

What’s most remarkable about the album is how it demonstrates that The Man From Delmonte were always destined to be outsiders. While their 80s and 90s contemporaries rode the Madchester wave or fitted neatly into other convenient boxes, this band stubbornly remained themselves. Too quirky for the mainstream and too intelligent for easy categorization. That this offering sounds as different today as it did when they were first introduced to the scene only increases their charm. After a couple of listens, Better Things feels like it’s been in your collection for years. This doesn’t feel like a band desperately trying to prove they’ve still got it. It feels like a band that never lost it in the first place.

The Man From Delmonte play Manchester’s O2 Ritz on December 21st. You can buy tickets here.

The Man From Delmonte: Website / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok

Keep up with At The Barrier: Facebook / X / Instagram / Spotify / YouTube