Indie pop duo Magdalena Bay has announced a new studio album called Mercurial World, which is currently set for release via Luminelle on October 8. The album was recorded in the period of 18 months, as the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin of touring alongside Kero Kero Bonito and Yumi Zuoma last year. Magdalena Bay has also released a new single called “Chaeri,” which is accompanied by a music video directed by Luke Orlando.

“Chaeri” sees Tenenbaum hooked up to a digital world through electric chords, where she switches between a virtual dreamscape and numerous cybernetic experiences. A number of ephemeral images also pass through the video, as the band’s members put on cube-shaped virtual helmets, while Tenenbaum’s brain scans are shown in scattered clips. The song opens up with Tenenbaum’s ethereal vocals, complemented by catchy synth chords and a rhythmic beat that gradually built up into more robust sonics.

“We spend all of our time together, and in some ways Mercurial World is about that particular sense of madness in containment,” Lewin explained in a press release. “We live together and make art together; this immerses you in our creative, insular universe.”

Taking their cues from 1980s, 1990s and 2000s pop, Magdalena Bay has released a slew of singles during the past couple of years including “How to Get Physical,” “Killlshot,” and “Good Intentions.” Their style takes a more upbeat approach to pop music which revels in nostalgia, in an attempt to contrast from the more dark and nihilistic sounds of the modern era.

Mercurial World tracklist

1. The End
2. Mercurial World
3. Dawning Of The Season
4. Secrets (Your Fire)
5. You Lose!
6. Something For 2
7. Chaeri
8. Halfway
9. Hysterical Us
10. Prophecy
11. Follow The Leader
12. Domino
13. Dreamcatching
14. The Beginning