The Valley of Vision

The Valley of Vision is the eighth extended play by American indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. Recorded during the sessions for their previous studio album The Million Masks of God, this work was released with an accompanying virtual reality movie^[1] directed by Isaac Deitz ^[2]. The EP was released digitally on March 10, 2023 on Loma Vista Recordings, with physical releases following on April 7.^[3]

The Valley of Vision
EP by Manchester Orchestra
Released	March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)
Recorded	2020
Studio	Concord Studios, New York City Echo Mountain, Asheville, North Carolina Favorite Gentlemen, Atlanta, Georgia Sound City Studios, Los Angeles, California
Genre	Indie rock
Length	25:50
Language	English
Label	Loma Vista
Producer	Ethan Gruska Andy Hull Catherine Marks Jamie Martens Robert McDowell Kyle Metcalfe
Manchester Orchestra chronology
The Million Masks of God (2021) The Valley of Vision (2023)

Reception

Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4 out of 5 stars, with critic Matt Collar writing that this release has "a cathartic, deeply ruminative vibe" that takes listeners "on a journey from solitary confessions made in a dark room to a wailing wall of bright pop catharsis".^[1] Writing for Alternative Press, Matt Mitchell notes the somber tone of the music calling it "solemn, enduring" and that it "feels like Manchester Orchestra is shedding their former self" due to the restrained nature of the music.^[4] Clash Music published a 7 out of 10 review of the album, stating that it "oozes emo sensibilities" and is "a melancholy, broody, moody and fun project to get lost in", but criticizing Andy Hull's vocal performance.^[5] Rowan5215 of Sputnikmusic rated this release a 3.4 out of 5, noting the slowness of the band and commenting that this music's tone is "positively withdrawn" and "a touch too sedate".^[6]

Track listing

1. "Capital Karma" (Andy Hull and Danny Parker) – 3:36
2. "The Way" (Hull) – 3:54
3. "Quietly" (Hull) – 4:53
4. "Letting Go" (Hull, Jamie Martens, and Robert McDowell) – 3:57
5. "Lose You Again" (Hull and Dan Wilson) – 3:42
6. "Rear View" (Hull) – 5:48

Personnel

Manchester Orchestra

• Andy Hull – guitar, keyboards, percussion, vocals, production
• Robert McDowell – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, programming, production
• Andy Prince – bass guitar
• Tim Very – drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• Paul Blakemore – mastering
• Mike Dempsey – photography
• Dowell Gandy – assistant engineering
• Ethan Gruska – piano, additional production
• Dan Hannon – additional production, engineering
• Christopher Leckie – esign
• Catherine Marks – engineering, mixing, additional production
• Jamie Martens – assistant engineering, engineering, additional Production
• Kyle Metcalfe – additional production
• Caroline Swon – backing vocals

See also

• List of 2023 albums

References

1. Collar, Matt (n.d.). "Manchester Orchestra – The Valley of Vision". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
2. "Letterboxd: The Valley of Vision 2023 Directed by Isaac Deitz". Letterboxd. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
3. Slingerland, Calum (February 23, 2023). "Manchester Orchestra Walk Through The Valley of Vision on New Album". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
4. Mitchell, Matt. "Manchester Orchestra walk through The Valley of Vision". Features. Alternative Press. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
5. "Manchester Orchestra – The Valley of Vision". Reviews. Clash Music. March 10, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
6. Rowan5215 (March 11, 2023). "Manchester Orchestra – The Valley of Vision". Album Reviews. Sputnikmusic. Retrieved June 26, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links

• The Valley of Vision at Discogs (list of releases)
• The Valley of Vision at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
• Press release for the album