Arkells release surprise single 'Handshake Thugs' on Universal

Arkells have released a new single, 'Handshake Thugs', on Universal. It arrived without advance notice and is not taken from the album the band put out in the spring.

The release was flagged in the 6 November edition of Alan Cross's New Music Friday column for Corus Radio. Cross notes that nothing suggests a new album is imminent, but he frames the single as typical of the band: Arkells, he says, like to drop new songs unexpectedly. "But never underestimate this band," he writes, adding that they are always working on something.

Timing

Cross also links the release to the calendar. The single came out in the same week as the American midterm elections, which he calls "definitely not a coincidence". That is his reading; the column offers no further detail on the song's subject matter, sound or credits.

The week's other releases

The column places the single at the top of its singles list. Its albums section covers Bryan Adams's *How's It Goin'*, Asia's *Indigo*, Django Django's *Doveland*, Kings of Leon's *Oh My Beloved*, Prong's self-titled record and Royal Blood's *Dead Company*.

Cross opens the column by noting that New Music Friday has roughly two more weeks in its standard form before Black Friday brings special releases, reissues and Record Store Day exclusives. The column is carried on globalnews.ca.