The Manchester rock band Elbow has released their newest single “Six Words.” Elbow’s newly released track comes from their upcoming album Flying Dream 1 which is set to release on November 19.

“Six Words” begins as a heartfelt ballad led by frontman Guy Garvey’s effortless vocals. The track slowly builds as the backing drumbeat and expert instrumentation further add to the rich atmosphere. Harmonious backing vocals surround the listener’s ears as Garvey floats atop the track with ease.

According to Stereogum, Garvey expanded on the track in a statement saying, “I can’t remember the exact genesis of the track, but it is definitely one of Craig’s. In some ways it’s familiar territory lyrically, it has similar sentiments to “Mirrorball” but it draws heavily on my teenage years: the bottle green in the song is the color of my school uniform and the six lanes is the traffic on the road to school in Prestwich. Though that six lanes line was something I originally wrote back in the early elbow days when I sat in The Cornerhouse people watching so it’s a double reminisce and a return to my love of writing about love.”

Garvey then continued stating, “The musical revelation came when we heard the backing singers that now end the track. We had this pyramid of voices making something incredible that reminded me of the early classic Disney soundtracks. It was so powerful that we knew we had to throw the spotlight onto them so that is why they end the track.”

Elbow previously released their single “The Seldom Seen Kid” earlier this month. Revisit mxdwn’s coverage of their 2019 album Giants of All Sizes.

Photo Credit: Pamela Lin