Manchester Orchestra Announce New Album With Haunting Video “Bed Head”
Manchester Orchestra surprise fans by announcing a new album & sharing the thrilling new single “Bed Head”
The secret’s out. After building suspense with a week long countdown, Manchester Orchestra have released a new single, a music video and announced their upcoming album, The Million Masks of God. At the end of The Black Mile film last night – a front-to-back performance of the band’s 2017 hit album – TheMillionMasksofGod.com site was revealed, hosting teasers of album art and the first single, “Bed Head”.
“Bed Head” is an electrically charged track that reels you in from the very start. Cinematic in its lyrics, band member Andy Hull explains that it’s centered on friendship and the choices made as they’ve gone about their everyday lives. “‘Bed Head’ is two old friends existing in two separate realities. It’s a conversation about the lives they lived, the consequences of life’s decisions, and finding purpose in trying to be better.”
An underlying urgency comes through the instrumentation, with fast drums and Hull’s expressive vocals amplifying the story. “Let me extinguish the habit, the sequence, the loss in my mind / Now I believe in the ghost,” he sings, the character seemingly tormented by the life he’s lived and the paths not taken.
Accompanying the track’s story is the slightly unnerving but undeniably fitting music video. Carrying on the storytelling aspect heard through the song’s lyrics, the mini-thriller features aspects of the supernatural, with a spectral Hull and effects akin to Poltergeist activity. Perfectly echoing the sentiment of “Bed Head”, the video is a perfect compliment to visualize the story. As the video closes out, and the final howling vocals come to a close, you’re left wanting more but feeling completely content at the same time – it’s a really unique release, and sets a high expectation for the upcoming album.
The Million Masks of God will be released on April 30th, and “Bed Head” won’t be the only story told on the album. Manchester Orchestra approached the album with the intention of designing a “movie album” – a collection of songs meant to be listened to in sequence and in a single setting to tell a continuous narrative. With “Bed Head” we’re introduced to some echoes of the afterlife, which heralds the story of the upcoming album – a man’s encounter with the angel of death, viewing various scenes from his life. As a first glimpse, “Bed Head” is a perfect example of how songwriting duo Hull and Robert McDowell can take tragic, personal experiences and loss and artfully transform it into a communal experience.
“There’s a decision we’re faced with when experiencing loss and the inevitable grief that follows,” says Hull. “Do we let it sink us? Try to ignore it and pretend it’s not there? Or do we search and dig until we find signs of beauty in life and all of its experiences?”
“Bed Head” begins an exploration into that thought, and leaves listeners and viewers alike ready to dive further into the forthcoming album. Watch the music video now, and mark your calendars for April 30th – you won’t want to miss the rest of the story.
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EDIT: Read the full review of The Million Masks of God.
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