Photo by Ben Kaye

M.C. Taylor will return with his second Hiss Golden Messenger album in under a year, Hallelujah Anyhow, on September 22nd (via Merge Records). Today, he’s shared the first and second listen to the Heart Like a Levee follow-up by way of a pair of tracks, “Domino (Time Will Tell)” and “When the Wall Comes Down”.

The former song is “an acknowledgment that what I do for a living is, on its face, funny,” Taylor told Uncut. “But this life has a pull for me; traveling for a living has been existentially good. It’s hard, and hard things are good, I think.” “Domino (Time Will Tell)” is a swinging number bolstered by horns and a peppy bit of guitar slide work. Check it out below.

As for “When the Wall Comes Down”, it’s impossible to make such a metaphor without bringing to mind the current political and cultural climate. Crestfallen but not dispirited, the hopeful song finds Taylor acknowledging the darkness of our times while vowing to “sing just like a songbird” anyhow. Check out the track’s lyric video below.

In addition to the fresh tracks, a handful of new tour dates have been added to Hiss Golden Messenger’s upcoming tour itinerary. Check out the updated schedule below.

Hiss Golden Messenger 2017 Tour Dates:
09/14 – Nashville, TN @ Americanafest
09/15-17 – Bristol, VA @ Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion
09/16-17 – Atlanta, GA @ Midtown Music Festival
09/19 – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena #
09/20 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena #
09/21 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center #
10/14 – Columbia, SC @ Jam Room Music Festival
10/20 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
10/21 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
10/22 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi
10/23 – St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
10/24 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
10/26 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
10/27 – Eau Claire, WI @ The Halls of Lismore
10/29 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
10/30 – Denver, CO @ The Bluebird Theater
11/02 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
11/03 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret
11/04 – Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown
11/05 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
11/07 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
11/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
11/10 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
11/11 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
11/14 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda
11/15 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
11/16 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
11/17 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s
11/18 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
11/19 – Decatur, GA @ Eddie’s Attic
11/30 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom
12/01 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom
12/06 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
12/07 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
12/08 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
12/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
12/11 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

# = w/ Mumford & Sons