Resistance Is Futile (album)
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Resistance Is Futile is the upcoming thirteenth album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, after much deliberation,[2] the album was announced on 17 November 2017 and is expected to be released on 13 April 2018.
Writing and recording
Early in 2017 Kieran Evans said that he was not working on the new album with the band, and that he heard two new songs that sounded "very, very melodious"; the album was expected to drop later in 2017, but then they had to move to a new studio and it got pushed back. Wire said that this was a very long gap for the group, and if the new songs were not good enough they would not come out.[3] There was much speculation on whether they were releasing a new album at all, with Wire saying that the last two albums might have drained the band in terms of creativity, with the band saying that they were "in a funny place".[4]
Despite this, in November 2017 the band announced the new album, their first to be recorded at their new studio near Newport. Described as "widescreen melancholia", and an attempt to recall the sound of Generation Terrorists and Everything Must Go, the band said that the album came together after some "old school hard work", focusing deep on every song so they could be "as best as possible".[5] The themes behind the album are memory and loss, forgotten history, confused reality and art as a hiding place and inspiration, with the band releasing further information saying that "It's obsessively melodic – in many ways referencing both the naive energy of 'Generation Terrorists' and the orchestral sweep of 'Everything Must Go'. After delay and difficulties getting started, the record has come together really quickly over the last few months through a surge of creativity and some old school hard work."[6]
About the first single the band said that there’s was certain naive energy and widescreen melancholia on the song that is reflected through the whole album, comparing it to Motorcycle Emptiness. Furthermore the album focused on "(...)things that make your life feel a little bit better. Rather than my internalised misery, I tried to put a sense of optimism into the lyrics by writing about things that we find really inspiring." Said Wire, taking inspiration from David Bowie and seen as almost an escape and a wave of optimism, just like the previoous album was described.[7] The lyrics for "Distant Colours" were written by James Dean Bradfield, rather than Nicky Wire, and inspired by disenchantment and Nye Bevan's old Labour. He said: "Musically, the verse is downcast and melancholic and the chorus is an explosion of disillusionment and tears."[8]
Release
Resistance Is Futile is expected to be released on 13 April 2018 in standard CD format, deluxe CD, cassette and vinyl.[9]
The band also announced a UK tour to promote the album. During April and May 2018 the band will play in Newcastle, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Llandudno, Leeds, London and Cardiff.[10]
The first single "International Blue" was released as a download on 8 December 2017.[11]
On 8 January 2018, the official tracklisting was announced and that album could be pre-ordered digitally via iTunes, HMV, Google Play and Amazon in standard and deluxe formats from "12.01am local time, Tuesday 9th January".[12]
The second single "Distant Colours" was released as a download on 16 February 2018.[13]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "People Give In" | 3:55 |
| 2. | "International Blue" | 3:52 |
| 3. | "Distant Colours" | 3:30 |
| 4. | "Vivian" | 4:15 |
| 5. | "Dylan & Caitlin" | 3:53 |
| 6. | "Liverpool Revisited" | 2:31 |
| 7. | "Sequels of Forgotten Wars" | 4:21 |
| 8. | "Hold Me Like a Heaven" | 4:18 |
| 9. | "In Eternity" | 4:16 |
| 10. | "Broken Algorithms" | 3:52 |
| 11. | "A Song for the Sadness" | 4:20 |
| 12. | "The Left Behind" | 3:09 |
| Total length: | 46:12 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "People Give In" (demo) | |
| 2. | "International Blue" (demo) | |
| 3. | "Distant Colours" (demo) | |
| 4. | "Vivian" (demo) | |
| 5. | "Dylan & Caitlin" (demo) | |
| 6. | "Liverpool Revisited" (demo) | |
| 7. | "Sequels of Forgotten Wars" (demo) | |
| 8. | "Hold Me Like a Heaven" (demo) | |
| 9. | "In Eternity" (demo) | |
| 10. | "Broken Algorithms" (demo) | |
| 11. | "A Song for the Sadness" (demo) | |
| 12. | "The Left Behind" (demo) | |
| 13. | "Concrete Fields" | |
| 14. | "A Soundtrack to Complete Withdrawal" |
Personnel
- James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, lead and acoustic guitar
- Nicky Wire – bass guitar, baritone guitar, lyrics
- Sean Moore – drums, soundscapes, machines, sequencers, percussion
References
- ^ https://twitter.com/seanmooremanic/status/964875997614104576
- ^ "The Manics are moving out of their Faster Studios HQ".
- ^ "See teaser trailer for new Manic Street Preachers film 'Escape From History'".
- ^ "Have the Manic Street Preachers made their final album?".
- ^ "'It's been a struggle to find out where we're going next': Q&A with Nicky Wire of the Manic Street Preachers".
- ^ "Manic Street Preachers announce new album 'Resistance Is Futile'".
- ^ "Manics: 'New single 'International Blue' is the new 'Motorcycle Emptiness"".
- ^ "LISTEN: New Manic Street Preachers".
- ^ "Manic Street Preachers".
- ^ "Manic Street Preachers announce UK tour including Manchester Arena date".
- ^ "twitter.com/manics".
- ^ "RESISTANCE IS FUTILE - PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE 9th JAN - Manic Street Preachers". Manic Street Preachers. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ "Manic Street Preachers share new 'Distant Colours' single".