A Black Mile to the Surface

Studio album by Manchester Orchestra

Released

July 29, 2017

Studio

Genre

Length

49:07

Label

Producer

Catherine Marks

Manchester Orchestra chronology

Hope
(2014)

A Black Mile to the Surface
(2017)

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	79/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Alternative Press
The A.V. Club	C
Exclaim!
The Guardian
Paste	7.7/10
PopMatters
Sputnikmusic	4.8/5

A Black Mile to the Surface is the fifth studio album from Atlanta-based indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. It was released on July 29, 2017 through Loma Vista Recordings and the band's own independent label, Favorite Gentlemen. The album was produced by both the band and Catherine Marks, along with John Congleton, Johnathan Wilson and long-time collaborator Dan Hannon. It was recorded at the band's Favorite Gentlemen Studio in Atlanta, as well as at Echo Mountain in Asheville and Elmwood West in Dallas. It is the first Manchester Orchestra release to not feature keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Chris Freeman, who left the band in 2016; leaving vocalist/guitarist Andy Hull as the only original member of the band. The album also features guest vocals from Nate Ruess, formerly of The Format and fun.; as well as Christian Zucconi of Grouplove.

The album’s title, as well as much of the imagery presented throughout is in reference to the town of Lead, SD, which is an old gold mining town that is now the site of The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). DUNE is a leading-edge, international experiment for neutrino science and proton decay studies. Discoveries over the past half-century have put neutrinos, the most abundant matter particles in the universe, in the spotlight for further research into several fundamental questions about the nature of matter and the evolution of the universe.

...
Wikipedia