Cass McCombs drops the writ

Album titles are a listener’s first clue to am artist’s musical and lyrical intentions, so Dropping the Writ, Cass McCombs’ third album, leads us to some fun hypotheses. Is Writ a concept album about the conflict between a stubborn head of state and an equally hardheaded head of government? Or is it a full-length exploration of esoteric parliamentary procedure?

It’s probably none of the above, but we’ll find out on October 9, when McCombs returns with his first album in nearly three years, and his first on Domino Records.

What has taken McCombs so long? Well, there was the extensive touring that saw him open for many of indie rock’s royal families, including Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, and the Decemberists. And when it came to start working on his new record, McCombs made sure to take his time — he began recording Dropping the Writ in the summer of 2006.

“That’s That,” the album’s first single, will be released on September 11, and McCombs is currently gearing up for a major fall tour. Dropping the Writ’s as-yet-unordered tracklist seems to provide little insight into the proper way to dissolve a government, but it does sound pretty ominous.

Lionkiller
Pregnant Pause
That's That
Petrified Forest
Morning Shadows
Deseret
Crick In My Neck
Full Moon Or Infinity
Windfall
Wheel Of Fortune

Related links:
CassMcCombs.com
DominoRecordCo.us
Cass McCombs on MySpace

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