Unknown Mortal Orchestra announce new double album ‘V’
New Zealand-American indie rock weirdos Unknown Mortal Orchestra are returning to the music world with a brand new double album, V. Just to throw a little bit of confusion into the mix, V is actually the band’s sixth studio album, not fifth, and their first since 2018’s IC-01 Hanoi.
Inspired by the natural beauty and rich history of Hawaii, to which singer Ruban Nielson traces his lineage, V was conceived and recorded during the pandemic. After helping some of his family members move out to the islands, Nielson took the landscapes and attitudes of Hawaii back with him to the recording studio.
“In Hawaii, everything shifted off of me and my music,” Nielson shared in a statement. “Suddenly, I was spending more time figuring out what others need and what my role is within my family. I also learned that things I thought were true of myself are bigger than I thought. My way of making mischief – that’s not just me – that’s my whole Polynesian side. I thought I was walking away from music to focus on family, but the two ended up connecting.”
After getting a preview of the new album a few months ago with the song ‘I Killed Captain Cook’, the Orchestra are giving us another taste of the upcoming LP with the new single, ‘Layla’. Featuring twisting and turning guitar lines that seem to float in and out of different keys, ‘Layla’ carries an infectious laid-back energy that can warm even the coldest hearts this winter. Despite Nielson’s calls to “get out of this broken place”, any sense of urgency or immediacy falls to the wayside as the lush textures within the song’s arrangement lift your spirits.
Along with longtime UMO member Jake Portrait, Nielson has recruited some of his family members to play on V. That includes Nielson’s father Chris, a native Māori New Zealander with an impressive resume as a saxophonist and flautist. The family connection helps to solidify the warm and fuzzy feelings that V seems to be going for. So far, it’s all points go for Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
Check out the video for ‘Layla’, plus the tracklisting for V, down below. V is set for a March 17th release.
V tracklisting:
1. ‘The Garden’
2. ‘Guilty Pleasures’
3. ‘Meshuggah’
4. ‘The Widow’
5. ‘In The Rear View’
6. ‘That Life’
7. ‘Layla’
8. ‘Shin Ramyun’
9. ‘Weekend Run’
10. ‘The Beach’
11. ‘Nadja’
12. ‘Keaukaha’
13. ‘I Killed Captain Cook’
14. ‘Drag’
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