On September 8th, Los Angeles art-rock duo Sparks will return with their first solo album in eight years. It’s titled Hippopotamus and marks their 22nd studio effort overall following 2009’s The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman and their 2012 debut release as FFS, a supergroup featuring Franz Ferdinand.

Recorded in Los Angeles, Hippopotamus spans 15 songs, including titles like “Giddy Giddy”, “I Wish You Were Fun”, and “Missionary Position”. According to an official statement, this new material finds brothers Ron and Russell Mael “take the pop form, shake it up, and create an album that is adventurous, fresh and idiosyncratically ‘Sparks.’”

Our first look at the comeback LP comes with its title track and accompanying music video. True to Sparks’ word, both are zany yet undeniable pieces of work centered around the African mammal. Check it out below.

Hippopotamus Artwork:

Hippopotamus Tracklist:
01. Probably Nothing
02. Missionary Position
03. Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)
04. Scandinavian Design
05. Giddy Giddy
06. What the Hell Is It This Time?
07. Unaware
08. Hippopotamus
09. Bummer
10. I Wish You Were Fun
11. So Tell Me Mrs. Lincoln Aside From That How Was the Play?
12. When You’re a French Director
13. Amazing Mr. Repeat
14. A Little Bit Like Fun
15. Life with the Macbeths

Sparks will support Hippopotamus with a full-fledged world tour, the European dates for which have been revealed.

Sparks 2017 Tour Dates:
08/07 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega Theater
08/08 – Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller
08/10 – Stockholm, SE @ Cirkus
08/12 – Helsinki, FI @ Flow Festival
09/11 – Prague, CZ @ Lucerna Music Bar
09/12 – Berlin, DE @ Columbia Theater
09/14 – The Hague, NL @ Paard van Troje
09/15 – Luxembourg, LU @ den Atelier
09/16 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
09/20 – Edinburgh, UK @ Queens Hall
09/22 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz
09/23 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
09/24 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute 1
09/26 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy
09/27 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire