Wisdom, Laughter and Lines was announced on 1 September 2015, coinciding with the release of its first single, 'The Austerity of Love' and details regarding its supporting tour.[3]
In the run up to the release of the album, Gigs and Tours interviewed both Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott about the album and their working dynamic. Paul mentioned that, “Jacqui is one of the best singers I've worked with and is also part of my past. This new album came together easily because we work so well together. The album title ‘Wisdom, Laughter and Lines’ derives from a line in one of the songs and it sort of sums up where I am in life.”[4]
In the same interview Jacqui talked about preparing to perform the new songs live, stating that “It’s just great to be singing again and I’m excited about playing these new songs live. We had such a good run together previously and it’s just a real pleasure to be working with him again and singing these fantastic songs.”
Contemporary reviews for Wisdom, Laughter and Lines were generally positive. In a four-star review for AllMusic, Marcy Donelson stated, "Songwriter Heaton's comprehensive knowledge of and enthusiasm for pop music is on full display again, with songs that hit on Motown, reggae, honky tonk, post-punk, and Eastern European folk, among other styles."[5]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Paul Heaton, except where noted[6]
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"(Man Is) The Biggest Bitch of All"
Paul Heaton, Jonny Lexus
3:41
2.
"The Austerity of Love"
4:28
3.
"I Don't See Them"
3:34
4.
"Heatongrad"
Heaton, Lexus
3:50
5.
"Sundial in the Shade"
Heaton, Lexus
6:34
6.
"Lonesome and Sad Millionaire"
4:00
7.
"The Queen of Soho"
Heaton, Lexus
3:26
8.
"The Horse and Groom"
Heaton, Lexus
3:42
9.
"When Love for Woman Stops"
Heaton, Lexus
6:03
10.
"No One Wants to Stay"
Heaton, Lexus
3:19
11.
"Wives 1, 2 & 3"
3:23
12.
"You, The Mountain and Me"
4:47
Wisdom, Laughter and Lines – Deluxe edition (bonus tracks)
^"[1]Archived 27 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved on 24 March 2016. Note: User needs to enter "Paul Heaton" in the "Search" field, "Artist" in the "Search by" field and click the "Go" button. Select "More info" next to the relevant entry to see full certification history.