Photo by Eric Tra

Tomorrow, June 30th, marks the official release of Mister Mellow, the new audio/visual album from Washed Out. The visual component of the LP has been made available a day early and can be seen below.

Due out through Stones Throw Records, Mister Mellow follows 2013’s Paracosm and took about two years to complete. Thematically, the LP takes a hard look at our generation’s tendency to be apathetic and unhappy despite our blessings. “Boredom. Laziness. Complete apathy. Is it a quarter-life crisis or just an excuse to never grow up?” a press release asks, before explaining the new album’s role in this line of questioning:

“In classic Millennial fashion, most young adults’ perception of their own lives are overblown and over-dramatized to the point of absurdity — as are the many ways they distract themselves from the insecurities faced on a daily basis (see social media, fantasy, drugs, music). Mister Mellow shines a light on the humor found in this paradox — how we can be so bored and unhappy in what is often a very privileged, contented life?”

The statement goes on to note that Washed Out’s Ernest Greene was influenced by various genres like free jazz, house, hip-hop, and even psych. The accompanying full-length visual piece features various forms of animation, including collage and claymation; there’s also an interview segment starring Saturday Night Live’s Kyle Mooney. Each clip “reflects the handmade, ‘paint outside the lines’ style of Greene’s music – and again is a reaction against the sterile, hyper-realistic renderings of most modern digital-based art.”

Mister Mellow Artwork:

Mister Mellow Tracklist:
01. Title Card
02. Burn Out Blues
03. Time Off
04. Floating By
05. I’ve Been Daydreaming My Entire Life
06. Hard to Say Goodbye
07. Down and Out
08. Instant Calm
09. Zonked
10. Get Lost
11. Easy Does It
12. Million Miles Away