Broken Bells have announced their new album, INTO THE BLUE, is out on October 7th via AWAL. The musical duo of The Shins’ James Mercer and Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) also shared the latest single “Saturdays.”
INTO THE BLUE finds Broken Bells drawing influence from The Beatles and Pink Floyd, as well as pulling from genres ranging from ’60s psychedelia and ’70s rock and AM Gold to ’80s new wave and ’90s trip-hop. The roster of the underground label Elephant 6 also continued to serve as a major inspiration.
Pre-orders for the album are ongoing. See the artwork and tracklist below.
Living up to its name, “Saturdays” wears the aforementioned inspirations on its sleeve and brings to mind a lazy weekend afternoon in the sun, though its lyrics aren’t as joyful as the melodies. “It was dark and lonely all the time,” Mercer sings. “It kept me getting high till you were mine.” Watch the Johnny Chew-directed video below.
INTO THE BLUE marks Broken Bells’ first full length since 2014’s After the Disco. It includes the previous single “We’re Not in Orbit Yet…”
Mercer has stayed plenty busy outside of Broken Bells as a member of The Shins. After reissuing their debut album, Oh, Inverted World, for its 20th anniversary last year, the band are currently on their “The Oh, Inverted World 21st Birthday Tour.” Grab your tickets here.
Meanwhile, Danger Mouse has teamed up with Black Thought for their collaborative album Cheat Codes, which includes the singles “No Gold Teeth,” “Because,” “Aquamarine,” and “Strangers.” The LP is out this Friday, August 12th.
INTO THE BLUE Artwork:
INTO THE BLUE Tracklist:
01. Into the Blue
02. We’re Not in Orbit Yet…
03. Invisible Exit
04. Love on the Run
05. One Night
06. Saturdays
07. Forgotten Boy
08. The Chase
09. Fade Away