Album 14

[MSPKYE]

Since we're starting to get a few titbits in the last few interviews...

NME 17/08/20

“We’ve written one really brilliant Manics song called ‘Orwellian’,” Wire told NME. “We’ve demoed that and it feels like a bit of a signpost to where we’re going. It’s got a bit of an ‘If You Tolerate This’ retro-futurism about it. It’s our shining light at the moment.”

Asked about the sound of their new material, Wire revealed: “It’s very broad – it feels like an expansive record. ‘Resistance Is Futile’ certainly felt more tight and ‘pop’ in a Manics sense. Everything was really melodic and concise. This album just feels broader. It’s got a wider landscape, sonically. It’s early days, but ‘Orwellian’ feels like the one track to guide us. I wouldn’t call it a directly political song, but it has that element of the times that we live in.”

He added: “Lyrically, I’m just working things out. Since losing both my parents, I’ve been kind of overwhelmed at that situation. There’s a deep-rooted sadness and melancholia that overhangs everything.”

JDB on Times Radio 18/08/20

"The one thing Nick didn't want to do was write a lockdown record, we don't want to come out of this singing about lockdown, we just didn't want to do that. And this song [Orwellian] was kinda finished before lockdown, and I think it pulls that trick of having a very distopian lyric...it's like a cheerful funeral march, it's uplifting but the lyrics are somewhat distopian...so it's that trick of having the ambition to make you feel melancholic glee like ABBA, but really it's taking you down a road with Nick Cave dressed as the reaper."

JDB on Rough Trade Edit Podcast 19/08/20

"We're 6 songs in now, and the titles are rocking and that's always the good sign...and the titles Nick has given me from his lyrics are just bang on...and we're back in the studio to do some more demos tomorrow."

[LA ex]

One more I spotted recently:

Herald Scotland 10/08/20

The Manics will return?

Oh God, yeah. We did a couple of demos before lockdown and we’ve started writing again I’d say we are about five songs in.

We don’t know what shape it’s going to take and, like everyone else, we don’t know what’s happening with the world.

I love playing live but if we ever play live again it will be the most unsubtle concert we’ve ever played. The first five songs will be the biggest songs we’ve got.

[IntlDebris]

Nicky says it's broad, epic, Tolerate-like.

So it's going to end up as KYE II.

[Noisy Cat]

"I love playing live but if we ever play live again it will be the most unsubtle concert we’ve ever played. The first five songs will be the biggest songs we’ve got."

So like 90% of their gigs from the last 25 years

[Tim]

I had been thinking that right now we need a new manics track to make an appearance or maybe after this horrific year is over, something like international blue which shows up, you hear that very first play and you think - 'You know, things may turn out alright afterall'.

[*Found That Soul*]

He's just been on Virgin radio and said he's off to the studio today to do some more demoing. Album possibly summer next year and he's been working on a song that's like 'Dark ABBA'

[hummingbird]

Oh I like the sound of "dark abba"

[Europa Gluten Free]

All these big soundbites and we know it'll be Postcards MK II. Boo.

[Routine Builder]

Originally Posted by hummingbird

Oh I like the sound of "dark abba"

Ms Europa Disco Dancer 2?

[everlasting]

Glad they're demoing right now for some more stuff, very good news indeed Bring on next summer for the new album!

[UEF]

I'm afraid to say that I think the next one will be an 'earner' in the vain of SATT. Although I fear that every time...

Or was RiF an improved SATT with better singles?

[Routine Builder]

Manics albums tend react to each other, commercial albums tend to follow more artistic endeavors and vice versa:

Lifeblood>SATT>JPFL>PFAYM>RTF+F>RiF

Not sure the two solo albums will throw it out of whack.

[Son of Stopped]

For me, SATT was "What do the Manics sound like?" as opposed to "what could the Manics sound like?" Lifeblood, Truth etc.
I am putting off predictions and looking for patterns. It's done when it's done. They've probably demoed an amazing track that ends up as a Japanese extra track, because it didn't fit with the song they've written that shows what direction the album should go in.
That's going on previous interviews about their process for making albums.
I still think RIF is nowhere near as disposable and slight as many have posted.
Just think, around Christmas, even after Christmas, we'll know more and more about album 14.

[UEF]

Originally Posted by Routine Builder

Manics albums tend react to each other, commercial albums tend to follow more artistic endeavors and vice versa:

Lifeblood>SATT>JPFL>PFAYM>RTF+F>RiF

Not sure the two solo albums will throw it out of whack.

There was a theory that JDB spent all his good songs on TGW (2006)

That means...

[hummingbird]

Originally Posted by UEF

There was a theory that JDB spent all his good songs on TGW (2006)

That means...

That wasn't a concept album though ...it's ok...it'll be ok.