SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA - BLACK MILE TO THE SURFACE

Manchester Orchestra
Black Mile To The Surface
Loma Vista Recordings

Manchester Orchestra puts on a magical performance on their latest album Black Mile To The Surface where the contrast between profound sadness and triumphant glory is peppered throughout the album. The stripped down vocals of singer Andy Hull stand stark and echoey against a backdrop of beautiful guitar, modest keyboards and thunderous drums. It’s no surprise then that fans are calling this their best album yet across the board in Facebook groups and message boards.

A striking maturity can be heard in the soul of this record, particularly in the track “Sunshine” written about Hull’s young daughter. The song is mellow and beautiful and at first listen oozes emotions of absolute adornment.

As the album progresses, tracks move from lonely with large gaping silences to synthesized, more modern tracks like “The Wolf” and “The Alien” with vocal anthems and epic builds in keyboard and drums on the first and folky guitar on the next.

Black Mile To The Surface is a beautiful display of artistic growth, raw emotion and excellent songwriting. A trip for the ears, this album is a sure fire musical journey.

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SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA – BLACK MILE TO THE SURFACE

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Gabrielle Mueller

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album reviews, black mile to the surface, loma vista recordings, manchester orchestra, the alien, the maze, the sunshine

About the Author

Gabrielle Mueller

Gabrielle Mueller is a lover of all things music, writing and charcuterie boards. Gabrielle has a particular passion for music of the 1960s and the hippie movement in Toronto’s Yorkville district. Gabrielle runs her own music website, The Hippie Historian, where she reviews concerts, interviews musicians and writes about music history that spans the ages.

album reviews loma vista recordings manchester orchestra

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