Atlanta indie-rock band Manchester Orchestra has announced the release of their new album The Million Masks of God, set to be released April 30 via Loma Vista Recordings. The album is available for preorder now. This announcement comes alongside the release of a music video directed by Andrew Donoho for their new single “Bed Head.”
The emotional video tugs on the heartstrings of fans as the first release from the album, painting a picture of a tender and supernatural companionship.
Watch the Video for “Bed Head” Here:
In the touching video, viewers watch who is presumed to be playing the daughter of frontman Andy Hull, as she communicates with her father’s ghost after his passing. The grief-stricken widow of the man struggles to cope with the loss, made apparent through empty bottles of booze strewn about the house, torn down photographs and a broken spirit. As he clings onto his relationship with his daughter in the after-life, signs of his ghost’s presence scare his former partner who decides to take herself and her daughter away from the home. The video ends with a powerful scene of the mother and daughter duo driving away as Hull watches helplessly.
The song is made up of heavy lyrics like “I’m not alone but it sure feels like someone left,” and backed by a mellow, but powerful instrumental that’s to be expected from the band. Hull tells SiriusXM’s Alt Nation that the song “is two old friends existing in two separate realities.”
What started as an abstract idea became something bigger in The Million Masks of God, as the passing of fellow band member Robert McDowell’s father led to a “deeper examination” of Hull’s own faith. The artists’ goal for the album was to create something that told a story, designed to be listened to in sequence and in one sitting. For Hull, it’s about “coming to grips with the realness of adulthood and that there’s an expiration date to all of this.”
“There’s a decision we’re faced with when experiencing loss,” Hull explains, “In a way, the grief will always define you but being together and creating something meaningful from all of the hardships has been the most helpful tool I’ve found.”
Hull has recently collaborated with the band Touché Amoré to create their single “Limelight,” which was released in October of 2020. Manchester Orchestra was also on the lineup for the Sandjam Festival in 2020, but the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Million Masks of God Tracklist:
1. Inaudible
2. Angel Of Death
3. Keel Timing
4. Bed Head
5. Annie
6. Telepath
7. Let It Storm
8. Dinosaur
9. Obstacle
10. Way Back
11. The Internet
Photo Credit: Alexander Cabrera
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