"Lady from Shanghai" is an album by Pere Ubu, an American rock group recognized for its avant-garde music blending a variety of styles including punk, art, and garage rock. Released in 2013, "Lady from Shanghai" is the group's fifteenth studio album under the Fire Records label.
Lauded as a concept album, it's inspired by the tensions and anomalous elements seen in the original film "Lady from Shanghai." The album reflects the band's progression in evolving new concepts and project methods, incorporating dance grooves and rhythms that contrast previous works. It brings together a unique assemblage of anachronistic techno styles, marking a move away from the group's punk roots while retaining the characteristic Ubu aesthetic.
David Thomas, the lead singer, aimed to explore 'Chinese Whispers' in this album. As per his vision, every song is deliberately re-conceptualizing of the one before, causing a whole cascade of mistranslations and misinterpretations.
The album has 14 tracks, including "Thanks," "Free White," "Feuksley Ma'am, The Hearing," and several others. Notably, disparate bits and pieces were recorded in the UK, USA, and also Portugal, before assembling them to alter the usual familiarity of the already known tunes. The reception was mixed, dividing critics due to its disparate, unconventional tone. Yet, it is undeniably a significant contribution to Pere Ubu's iconic legacy.
