{"product_id":"archers-of-loaf-reason-in-decline-lp","title":"ARCHERS OF LOAF 'REASON IN DECLINE' LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eLABEL: Merge \u003cbr\u003eVINYL RELEASE DATE: 10\/21\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\/2022\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: 2022\u003cbr\u003eVARIANT: Black Vinyl LP\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs sculpted shards of guitar—tumbling, tolling, squalling—shower the jittery bounce of a piano on opener “Human,” it’s obvious that \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eReason in Decline\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e,\u003cstrong\u003e Archers of Loaf\u003c\/strong\u003e’s first album in 24 years, will be more than a nostalgic, low-impact reboot. When they emerged from North Carolina’s ’90s indie-punk incubator, the Archers’ hurtling, sly, gloriously dissonant roar was a mythologized touchstone of slacker-era refusal. But this is an entirely different noise. In fact, it’s a startling revelation.\u003cem\u003e Reason in Decline\u003c\/em\u003e will be released worldwide by Merge Records on \u003cstrong\u003eOctober 21st, 2022. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few distinctions between 2022 Archers and the Clinton-era crew—whose “South Carolina” could be heard blaring out of Jordan Catalano’s car radio on ABC teen-angst epic \u003cem\u003eMy So-Called Life\u003c\/em\u003e. First, guitarists \u003cstrong\u003eEric Bachmann\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eEric Johnson\u003c\/strong\u003e, once headstrong smartasses inciting a series of artful pileups on the band’s four studio albums and EP, are now a fluidly complementary, sonically advanced unit. Notably, Johnson’s signature trebly lines peal clearly above the din instead of struggling to be heard. Second, singer-songwriter Bachmann, after throat surgery, relearned how to sing (this time from his diaphragm); as a result, he no longer howls like the angriest head cold on the Eastern Seaboard. And now, his lyrics balance righteous wrath with a complex tangle of adult perspective. He still spits bile, but it’s less likely to concern scene politics, music trends, or shady record labels thwarting the dreams of a young rock band.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eBachmann puts it bluntly: “\u003cem\u003eWhat I really think about going back to the Archers and doing a new record is that the three other members of this band are awesome. It’s not about responding to the past or whatever our bullshit legacy is. I just wanted to work with these guys because I knew the chemistry we had and that we still have. I knew that was rare. I didn’t care what it ended up sounding like\u003c\/em\u003e.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eArchers of Loaf’s first tour of duty ended after 1998’s \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhite Trash Heroes\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. The album did not raise the band’s once touted commercial roof, and the members—Bachmann, Johnson, bassist \u003cstrong\u003eMatt Gentling\u003c\/strong\u003e, and drummer \u003cstrong\u003eMark Price\u003c\/strong\u003e started drifting in different directions with other projects \u0026amp; real life. Price was unable to play without extreme pain due to carpal tunnel syndrome. Bachmann itched to try a different musical approach. Everyone was tapped out in one way or another. Though the four remained good friends and convened for occasional reunion gigs (to support Merge’s 2011–12 album reissues, for instance), they never worked on new music. Gentling had joined \u003cstrong\u003eBand of Horses\u003c\/strong\u003e; Johnson, now a criminal defense attorney in Asheville, North Carolina, contributed guitar to projects when he had the time. On his own, Bachmann thrived, releasing 11 albums of atmospheric, folky rock\/pop under his own name or “group” moniker \u003cstrong\u003eCrooked Fingers\u003c\/strong\u003e. In recent years, he’d toured as a sideman\/foil for torch-country star \u003cstrong\u003eNeko Case.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut chemistry is a funny thing, as Archers had the good fortune of learning following the recording of two different 7-inches of new material— \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eRaleigh Days \/ Street Fighting Man\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e (released on Record Store Day 2020) \u0026amp; \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTalking Over Talk\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. Despite playing together only a handful of times live during their hiatus (mostly playing older material), the band knew there was still something to be unpacked. Their work wasn't finished. They're older \u0026amp; smarter. Still pissed, no doubt (how could anyone not be right now?), but able to process that anger \u0026amp; turn it into a mature, staggering piece of guitar art. Merge Records \u0026amp; Archers of Loaf are proud to present to you the \u003cem\u003eReason in Decline\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MERGE","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67767496605790,"sku":"ARCHERS-OF-LOAF-REASON-IN-DECLINE-LP-BLACK-9516","price":21.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0280\/0484\/3614\/files\/5344_5205d710-2ee9-4ff5-86bf-d93cfb4e6392.png?v=1792178810","url":"https:\/\/shop.revolvermag.com\/products\/archers-of-loaf-reason-in-decline-lp","provider":"Revolver Magazine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}