Conceived in 2004 by English bass legends Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order), Gary "Mani" Mounfield (Stone Roses, Primal Scream), and Andy Rourke (the Smiths), Manchester-based alternative rock outfit Freebass didn't get around to laying anything down to tape until much later in the decade. By the time the group's debut EP, Two Worlds Collide, arrived, Rourke had relocated (amicably) to New York City, and the band had added vocalist Gary Briggs to the mix. It’s a Beautiful Life, Freebass' full-length debut, arrived in 2010 on Hacienda Records, and featured a heady mix of modern rock, dub, and Northern soul. ~ James Christopher Monger