Pamela Vander, the fiancée and last manager of Mark E Smith, the late frontman of the influential British post-punk band the Fall, has criticized a new album being marketed as the band’s final official release. The album, titled Post Script, has drawn controversy for being labeled as the last work of Smith, who died in January 2018. Vander called the release “ethically wrong” and a “cash grab,” arguing that it misrepresents Smith’s wishes and the nature of the recordings. Post Script was first announced in June and was initially believed by some media outlets to contain recordings made by the band’s final lineup shortly before Smith’s death. However, it was later revealed that the album consists of unused studio vocals recorded between 2001 and 2014, to which longtime Fall associates Ed Blaney and Simon “Ding” Archer added music posthumously. Vander pointed out that none of the vocals were recorded after New Facts Emerge, the album Smith himself declared to be his final work in 2017. She also mentioned that she has access to Smith’s actual last recordings, which included a cover of Madonna’s Material Girl, and that he had clearly made his decision about the final album. The album is set for release on October 2 by Cog Sinister, with formats including CD, vinyl, and digital. The release has the approval of Smith’s estate, but Vander remains critical, stating that Smith’s life was complex and that he was disorganized about his legacy. She questioned who owned the name “the Fall” and argued that the release should have been presented as an archive rather than as the band’s final album. Vander, who painted the cover of New Facts Emerge and is named in Smith’s will, said she felt compelled to speak out because the release had been “eating her up,” and she felt it was still her responsibility to stand up for Smith. Blaney, a former Fall member and tour manager, defended the release, saying it was a tribute to Smith and the band. He stated that the vocals had been waiting to be used and that Smith had trusted him with the project. Rob Ayling, director of Cog Sinister, said the album “speaks for itself,” while Archer, who recorded most of Smith’s vocal takes for 12 years, emphasized that the album was meant to wrap up unfinished work. He clarified that the term “final” in the original announcement referred to it being the last LP of unheard studio recordings, not the end of the band. Archer argued that since Smith was the Fall, the recordings should be considered Fall songs.