Shovels & Rope have announced their new album, Manticore — due out on Feb. 18 — with the release of a new single, “Domino.”
“Domino” is a creative commentary on celebrity in American culture from the perspective of James Dean, who wonders throughout the lyrics why his image remains so resonant decades after his tragic death. Listen below:
Manticore was originally planned as a stripped-down acoustic release, but “Domino” springs out of the gate with an energetic, rockabilly sound. After writing the material before the COVID-19 pandemic and then embarking on producing the project throughout it, band members Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst say they suddenly found themselves with extra time in quarantine to re-imagine and reproduce the songs across the album.
“It’s not heavy metal, but in our guts, it feels a bit like heavy metal,” says Trent of this evolution in sound.
Despite the imaginative subject matter and layered arrangement of “Domino,” Shovels & Rope tease that Manticore also features intimate, more personal tracks, including the contemplative album closer “Human Race” and the parenting ballad “Bleed Me,” inspired by Trent and Hearst’s experiences raising their two children. The band’s similarly autobiographical song “Birmingham,” off of their 2012 album O’ Be Joyful, turns 10 years old in January.
In addition to the album news, Shovels & Rope have also announced a North American and European acoustic tour, set to begin on Nov. 2. The duo’s string of show dates will take them throughout the East Coast, Southeast and Midwest, as well as to Toronto, Ontario, Canada and spots in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Best Country Albums of 2021 – Critic’s Pick
There have been many creative country albums in 2021, but not all have hit the mark. Artists are more than ever toying with distribution methods and packaging as much as they are new sounds, so you get double and triple albums, Part 1 and Part 2, and digital EPs in lieu of a traditional 10 or 11-song release.
More than ever, this relied on staff opinion and artistic merit to allow for some parity among major label artists and independents. The 10 albums listed below are not ranked, although the year-end list published in the fall will crown a true best album of 2021.