Manchester Orchestra‘s Andy Hull has spent the last two years on the road as the band’s front man. His travels brought about the inspiration for the second installment of his solo project, Right Away, Great Captain! His sophomore solo effort, The Eventually Home, continues to tell the ongoing saga of a 17th century sailor who catches his wife in an act of betrayal with his very own brother. The record, released on Favorite Gentlemen Recordings, is part two of a three-chapter set and this album sees the heartbroken and wary sailor finally on his way back home, where he contemplates the various themes of God, death, and revenge.
These are all feelings and experiences sometimes shared by Andy himself. “I took from my own emotions of being gone for so long and then being scared to come home,” Hull said. “The Eventually Home is much more than a second chapter of a tale; it’s a tragedy that most have felt before and brings up the timeless question of what home exactly is.”
Following up on 2006′s The Bitter End, the new release is an intricate and tightly-woven account where the protagonist has been swallowed up by his own hate and desire for revenge. The Eventually Home abandons the more lo-fi folk sound of the debut for a darker perspective, both musically and lyrically. With co-production duties handled by Atlanta’s Dan Hannon (Manchester Orchestra, Winston Audio), the sophomore piece eludes a hopeless sonic atmosphere compounded with Hull’s strong and confident vocals and lyrics.
“Down To Your Soul”
On the opening track, the moody but tender “Down To Your Soul”, Hull sings of the only sure thing the main character knows at the point of his demise, proclaiming “I carved a map in the back of my arm. So don’t worry, I’m coming home.” The record comes to its near-end with the song “I Am A Vampire To You,” which is an echo to the growing madness of the sailor who only sees home as the place to finish everything.
The Eventually Home is not a stripped-down and simpler version of Manchester Orchestra, but Hull’s own personal vision and story of embracing doubt from a songwriter who shares in many of the same spirits and perspectives as the mariner himself.
The Eventually Home is available now.
Right Away, Great Captain!: myspace
