The Manic Street Preachers famously said, in their earliest interviews, that they would make one killer album and then disband. They did make that one astonishing album; they have since made fourteen more! Intercontinen7al promised us seven albums, and true to their word, here we are on the verge of that seventh and final release.
It is still a month away, and so to get us in the mood, they have just dropped the album’s first single, “Love is Everywhere.” It’s a lilting and lovely piece, mandolin-driven and spacious, feeling like a late-era Beatles piece, had they grown up playing on the Latin-folk scene of downtown Madrid or after they had made the decision to give up touring, had relocated to Buenos Aires to soak up the sonic vibes.
This time out, the song comes from the pen of Nereo Paulus, who calls Argentina home, hence the cool, Latin vibes: remember this is a band whose members are based all over the world, giving them the unique claim to be the only band to have recorded music with contributions from all seven continents, thanks to some neat Antarctic percussion!
But that was then, and this is now, and now is all about a deft and delicate piece of music, one that blends tradition with adventure, folk finesse with more pop awareness, is soaked in lush harmonies, and promotes an even richer, heartwarming sentiment.
It’s been a fantastic project: five years of global music-making, world music in the truest sense, and six succulent albums, so far. It always pays to go out on a high, leave the audience wanting more. That is precisely what Intercontinen7al is doing here with this final musical chapter.
Thanks for the ride, people.
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