One of the standout tracks on ‘Cope’ (which we reviewed here), Manchester Orchestra are set to release ‘Girl Harbor’ on 29 September to coincide with a lengthy UK tour where they’ll be supported by Bad Books and Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band.
Reminiscent of ‘Everlong’-era Foo Fighters, the track finds the group at their best as they mix anthemic stadium-style hooks with an unsettling grungey undertone. Also recalling early R.E.M., there’s a sincerity in Andy Hull’s voice as he sings: ‘Now your last name is mine and I feel no different’. It gets even more heartbreaking as he picks up the passion and delivers the hard-hitting singalong of ‘You waste so much time’ over and over again. There’s a poignancy also in the verse: ‘I’m running out of things that I can say, cos’ nothing that I say is really helping anyway’.
See Manchester Orchestra live:
SEPTEMBER
26 – Portsmouth – Portsmouth Pyramids
27 – Bristol – Anson Rooms
28 – Norwich – Waterfront
29 – Nottingham – Rock City
OCTOBER
1 – Manchester – The Ritz
2 – Glasgow – 02 ABC
3 – Newcastle – O2 Academy
4 – Leeds – Metropolitan University
6 – Cardiff – University Students Union
7 – London – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
Filed under: EP review, New music, Preview Tagged: alternative music, Andy Hull, Bad Books, Cope, Girl Harbor, indie music, Kevin Devine, Manchester Orchestra, Manchester Orchestra single, music, music stream, new music, pop music, rock music