Soft Cell debuts ‘Northern Lights’ — first new song in 15 years — off upcoming best-of

With Marc Almond reuniting with Dave Ball to commemorate Soft Cell’s 40th anniversary with one final farewell concert next month, the duo also have produced some new music go to along with the occasion: two new songs, in fact, that will be included on a new singles collection.

The first of those songs, “Northern Lights,” has been released, and can be streamed below.

The 20-song singles collection, Keychains and Snowstorms: The Singles, is due out Sept. 28, and will also feature a second new song, “Guilty (‘Cos I Say You Are).” Those two new songs, however, will not be included on the previously announced nine-disc box set Keychains and Snowstorms: The Soft Cell Story, also due out in September.

According to Universal Music, the two new songs came about while Almond and Ball were preparing the box set, and Ball shared with Almond two new pieces of music — inspiring Almond to begin working on lyrics for them. However, “due to the long lead manufacturing times for box sets,” they’re not included in that set, just on the single-disc best-of.

The synthpop outfit released three albums — including the classic 1981 debut Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret — during its original run from 1977 to 1984, then reunited in 2001 to tour and record a new album, Cruelty Without Beauty, which was released the following year. The band dissolved again after touring into 2003.

They’ll reunite for a farewell concert  — dubbed, naturally, “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” — on Sept. 30 at London’s O2 Arena.

Tracklist: Soft Cell, Keychains and Snowstorms: The Singles

1. “Memorabilia”
2. “Tainted Love”
3. “Where Did Our Love Go?”
4. “Bedsitter”
5. “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye”
6. “Sex Dwarf”
7. “Torch”
8. “Insecure Me”
9. “What”
10. “Where The Heart Is”
11. “Numbers”
12. “Barriers”
13. “Loving You, Hating Me”
14. “Soul Inside”
15. “Down In The Subway”
16. “Divided Soul”
17. “Monoculture”
18. “The Night”
19. “Northern Lights”
20. “Guilty (‘Cos I Say You Are)”