Kevin Rowland released the first Dexys Midnight Runners album in 1980 when he was 27 years old, at which point he’d long surpassed the formative musical influences of his youth. Although it was the dawn of new wave, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels did still keep one eye on the past; the record was equally indebted to the analog sounds of blue-eyed soul and ska as Rowland’s distinctive warbling vocals felt fixated on youthful longing and urban malaise.
Fast-forward to 2026 and, like certain other British songwriting icons, Rowland is ready to revisit the period of childhood that was skipped over when he began penning songs in the ’80s. Following Dexys’ 2023 LP The Feminine Divine, LOVE marks his first album with the Midnight Runners moniker in over 40 years—itself a reason to feel nostalgic—and is structurally guided by Rowland’s recollections growing up across the UK and Ireland as they lead up to the present day. Think of these songs as more than just the missing chapters of his recent memoir Bless Me Father—they’re the emotions that couldn’t be put into words across that book’s pages, the sounds of a young man finding himself through relationships both romantic and musical.
With the record dropping this Friday, Rowland shared a playlist with us that summarizes some of the most eye-opening songs he heard between early childhood and the band’s first chapter in the ’80s. From Elvis to Eno, check out the full playlist below. You can also pre-order LOVE here.
Elvis Presely, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”
Elvis was like a god to me. His voice was so beautiful and full of love. And he looked like a god. Such a beautiful record.
Unit 4 + 2, “Concrete and Clay”
I heard this when I was 12 and I loved it so much because it summed up how I was feeling with my first real childhood crush. It has a sadness to it while still being upbeat. Great.
The Beach Boys, “California Girls”
When I heard this I was stunned that somebody could create something so beautiful. I had never heard anything like it, and I still haven’t.
The Supremes, “You Can’t Hurry Love”
When I heard this, it sounded like magic. With most songs I’d heard, I could understand how someone had written it. But with this, I couldn’t hear the joins. It sounded otherworldly, as if it just arrived from somewhere else.
The Beatles, “Hey Jude”
Once again, I didn’t think beauty like this existed. So moving. Genius.
Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band, “Michael”
Geno was the first real live band I saw. As well as Geno’s great, powerful music, it was about the sense of belonging I got from being in the crowd of likeminded youths.
Van Morrison, “Caravan” (Live From It’s Too Late to Stop Now)
This song never fails to lift me. No matter what mood I’m in, it always brings me up.
Roxy Music, “Virginia Plain”
I heard this when I was 18 and it blew me away because it was retro, but also futuristic. Roxy Music managed to be both avant-garde and commercial, and that’s no mean feat.
Van Morrison, “Madame George”
This song taught me that music could go way deeper than I thought possible. It also showed me that pain could be used to create something beautiful.
The Night Writers, “Let the Music (Use You)”
This was a great track from the early days of acid house. Its repetitive riff was hypnotic, and for me, it stood out from all the other great tracks that were around at the time.
Jimmy Ruffin, “Tell Me What You Want”
This track always lifts my mood. Incredibly, Jimmy Ruffin wrote it, produced it, and sang on it. The arrangement is off-the-scale brilliant.
The Contours, “Just a Little Misunderstanding”
Absolutely incredible song and performance on this record. Great groove, great vocals, great song. We used to listen to this in a few other records before writing sessions with early Dexys. The idea was always to try to write something as good as this.
