Manic Street Preachers Announce New Album 'The Ultra Vivid Lament' And Accompanying UK Tour
Friday, 14 May 2021
Written by Laura Johnson
Photo: Alex Lake
Manic Street Preachers have confirmed the details of their new album.
Following a series of teasers, the trio revealed the follow-up to 2018’s ‘Resistance Is Futile’ is called ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ and will arrive on September 3 via Columbia/Sony. It was conceived on piano instead of guitar, and was recorded last winter at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth and the band’s studio in Newport.
Among its 11 tracks are The Secret He Had Missed with guest vocalist Julia Cumming of Sunflower Bean and Blank Diary Entry with Mark Lanegan.
The Welsh rockers will support the record with an autumn UK tour and a huge London show at the SSE Arena Wembley on December 3. They will be joined by The Anchoress for all dates except London. Tickets go on general sale at 10am on May 21.
Head below to check out the album’s artwork, tracklist and first single, Orwellian. Musically, the track is uplifting and expansive, which belies the tone of its lyrics. Discussing it, the band said:
“The track is about the battle to claim meaning, the erasing of context within debate, the overriding sense of factional conflict driven by digital platforms leading to a perpetual state of culture war. As with many songs on the record, it was written on the piano by James Dean Bradfield. Musically, it echoes ABBA, the majesty of Alan Rankine’s playing in the Associates and Talk Talk’s ‘It’s My Life’ with a Lindsey Buckingham guitar solo. It felt like the perfect sonic and lyrical introduction to ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’."
‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ tracklist:
Still Snowing In Sapporo
Orwellian
The Secret He Had Missed
Quest For Ancient Colour
Don't Let The Night Divide Us
Diapause
Complicated Illusions
Into The Waves Of Love
Blank Diary Entry
Happy Bored Alone
Afterending
The Manics will also play two arena shows in Cardiff this summer alongside previously announced UK festival sets.
Manic Street Preachers Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Fri July 16 2021 - CARDIFF Motorpoint Arena
Sat July 17 2021 - CARDIFF Motorpoint Arena
Fri September 10 2021 - HALIFAX Piece Hall Sun September 26 2021 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE City Hall
Tue September 28 2021 - EDINBURGH Usher Hall
Wed September 29 2021 - DUNDEE Caird Hall
Fri October 01 2021 - STOKE ONTRENT Victoria Hall
Sat October 02 2021 - MANCHESTER Apollo
Mon October 04 2021 - YORK Barbican
Tue October 05 2021 - GLASGOW Barrowlands
Thu October 07 2021 - LEEDS Academy
Fri October 08 2021 - PORTSMOUTH Guildhall
Sun October 10 2021 - BOURNEMOUTH Academy
Mon October 11 2021 - CAMBRIDGE Corn Exchange
Wed October 13 2021 - BATH Forum
Thu October 14 2021 - BRIGHTON Dome
Fri December 03 2021 - LONDON SSE Arena Wembley
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