Manchester Orchestra’s sixth full-length is a more melodramatic affair that trades in the rock vibes of its predecessors for a more guitar driven soundscape. The album still has its heavy moments, but manages to find a gentler vibe that gives the album a different sound to the one the band had already so well established.
The Alien is a great example of this tonal shift (and a pretty decent example of a fantastic song) and one that shows the range of songwriting possessed by Andy Hull and co. The album still has room for tracks like The Gold, which is very much the Manchester Orchestra of old – drums and guitar and a chorus that soars above the clouds.
Those hoping for the short, punchy songs of albums past will be disappointed, but this album represents an evolution of sound in a positive direction. It’s hard not to listen to A Black Mile to the Surface a few times through and not feel strangely uplifted and inspired.
