Pitchfork

Former Strapping Arabian Malcolm Middleton released his fourth solo album in the UK via Full Time Hobby this week. The A Brighter Beat follow-up is called Sleight of Heart, and it features Middleton's covers of Madonna's "Stay", King Creosote's "Marguerita Red", and Jackson C. Frank's "Just Like Anything", among six other tunes.

Though it's mostly a low-key, acoustic affair, Middleton did enlist some other players on Sleight of Heart, including Mogwai's Barry Burns (piano) and ex-Delgado Paul Savage (drums). And yes, the titles of both Middleton's and fellow ex-Arab Strap member Aidan John Moffat's 2008 albums contain the word "heart". You guys are adorable, really.

Middleton has also lined up a spring tour of the UK and Northern Ireland, plus a few dates abroad in May.

Sleight of Heart:

01 Week Off
02 Blue Plastic Bags
03 Total Belief
04 Just Like Anything
05 Follow Robin Down
06 Stay
07 Marguerita Red
08 Love Comes in Waves
09 Hey You

Malcolm in the Middleton:

03-22 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Black Box
03-23 Cardiff, Wales - Glee Club
03-24 Bristol, England - Thekla
03-25 Cambridge, England - Portland Arms *
03-26 Oxford, England - Jericho Tavern *
03-27 Leeds, England - Cockpit
03-29 Exeter, England - Phoenix
03-30 Leicester, England - Charlotte
03-31 Norwich, England - Arts Centre
04-01 Birmingham, England - Glee Club
04-02 London, England - Union Chapel *
04-05 Nottingham, England - Bodega
04-06 Manchester, England - Night & Day
04-07 Newcastle, England - Cluny
05-07 Sydney, Australia - The Hopetoun
05-09 Melbourne, Australia - The Corner
05-10 Brisbane, Australia - The Zoo
05-18 Tokyo, Japan - O-Nest

* with De Rosa, the Accidental