Every time we write about Orchid Mantis it seems Thomas Howard is reinventing the project and pushing the sound in new directions. After a series of reflective albums, 2021’s Visitations repositioned the focus for something more optimistic and forward thinking, though by the time follow-up How Long Will It Take arrived in 2022, Howard was already contemplating nostalgia once more. Couple this with the stylistic variation across the Orchid Mantis oeuvre, with twin threads of pop and ambient sensibilities united on 2023 mini-album there is one place we’re all going, as well as collaborations with acts like Surfgoth, and it is clear the project is constantly evolving.
With a ninth album coming later this year, Orchid Mantis is back with a brand new single ‘Another Life’. A song which not only explores new styles but also continues the trend of Howard enlisting outside help. Offering a morose intimacy typical of the best bedroom pop and slowcore, the song plays like inner longings as murmured to an empty room. Lyrics written and performed by Sign Crushes Motorist, one of Belfast artist Liam McCay’s several projects, elevate the mood further, and raise the Orchid Mantis sound to new levels of melancholic charm. It’s reportedly the first song from a forthcoming album, so stay tuned for more info in the near future.