I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child  (Audio CD) 
by Manchester Orchestra

This album is not, as we had hoped, a mystical collaboration between Morrissey, Oasis and New Order. It is, in fact, so devoid of actual Mancunian influence it might as well have been made on Jupiter. That's not to say you should cast it aside in disgust at such flagrant false advertising-there's far more to this Atlanta-based five-piece's debut than meets the eye. The vocals sound like Conor Oberst having a nervous breakdown and there's a gloomy pall suspended over the whole affair that could probably kill the mood at a wake. Let's face it, we can all pinpoint this album's demographic with startling precision but for once let's set snobbery aside. After all, Madchester was aimed at parka-wearing pill-heads from Salford and now it's adored by mild-mannered middle Englanders everywhere. Best to get in on the act early.