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 The Perfect Mix: Indie/Mainstream. Gritty/Clean. ETC, ETC... Nov 07, 2009
Manchester Orchestra is a band that came out of nowhere for me. Upon further research though, I come to find out that they had a highly praised debut album, "I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child", back in 2006 and that this new album, "Mean Everything To Nothing", received a perfect 5 star review from Alternative Press magazine. Apparently I was behind the band wagon for awhile. Now I am fully dressed in MO gear and ready to cheer them on forever. I fell in love with "I've Got Friends" and then I decided to check out their entire album. I was blown away. Indie music isn't usually my preferred genre of music but there is just something about this album; not something, but rather, everything about this album, that is amazing.
1. The Only One (2:39) 10/10
2. Shake It Out (5:11) 10/10
3. I've Got Friends (4:57) 10/10
4. Pride (5:48) 10/10
5. In My Teeth (4:42) 10/10
6. 100 Dollars (1:50) 10/10
7. I Can Feel A Hot One (4:19) 10/10
8. My Friend Marcus (3:41) 10/10
9. Tony The Tiger (3:09) 9.5/10
10. Mean Everything To Nothing (5:38) 10/10
11. The River/Jimmy He Whispers (11:34) 10/10
Overall: 11 @ 53:25 - 10/10
Ever since I started to learn about different types of music, Indie music was always intriguing to me, but what happened was that I could never find one band that really interested me. When I heard this band I finally knew that this is what I wanted, and this is what I needed to hear. This album walks all sorts of lines. It's just the perfect amount of weird (read: Indie), with the perfect amount of good 'ol grunge/rock. The dynamics are INSANE; the perfect amount of loud gritty, dirty, raw guitars with beautiful guitar melodies, and note for note perfect piano melodies from Chris. Chris's little touches to every song are so important. Andy Hull's vocals are so delicate, fragile, and emotional at times, and then they are gritty, raw, and biting at other times. This man is a beast at 22, and I don't think anything can stop him now.
Lyrically Andy's writing is superb. Some of the lyrics are enigmatic and cryptic. Others, you can really here how much forgiveness this man thinks that he needs. His lyrics are hopeful, and hopeless. Sometimes they feel really spiritual, others almost nihilistic, and at all times they are 100 percent honest, and personal. Whether it's him asking himself a depp question, or saying a cold truth, you feel like it's about yourself. This album makes you reflect.
The guitar work is refreshing. The guitar work is some of the best of the year. Trust me, if you like guitars, you will like this album. Melodies are spot on. The dirty, grungy riffs are sick, etc., etc. The drum work is subtle, and explosive. The bass lines, are, exactly how they should be.
The flow of this album is so smooth. Every song flows right into each other seamlessly. This album has alternative songs, catchy songs, grungy songs, dark and brooding hard rock songs, an acoustic and string laced song, etc. These songs are Indie at the same time they are catchy enough to be on the radio without sacrificing any substance. In fact, that word truly sums up this album; substance. And so does perfect, and complete, and balanced, and honest. I could keep going on and on about this album but I wont.
Buy this album.
Breath of fresh air Oct 20, 2009
Rarely have I come across an alternative band this original. Simply put, this is without question one of the best rock albums to come out this year. I have yet to purchase their first album... and I'm counting on it to be just as jaw dropping in its own way.
Good rock! Oct 15, 2009
I know Manchester Orchestra is considered an Indie Rock band, but I would classify it more along the lines of hard rock, definitely not pop rock, as some people have stated. I am a classic rock fan, myself, and while listening to this CD, sometimes it seemed I heard guitars singing a la Boston, and it took me right back in time. As a whole, there are some nice, catchy tunes on this CD, with a few slower songs, which still manage to rock out in the end. If you enjoy rock in any form, what's not to like about this CD?
Manchester Orchestra Delivers Oct 15, 2009
Either you like how they sound or not so I suggest you try the samples before you decided to buy.
You probably heard of them from their radio hit "I've Got Friends" but you'll be amazed to see how great their other songs are as well.
It's definitely worth at least one listen through once or twice and you'll find plenty of songs which will make your favorites list.
Hookiness beneath alternative's long shadows... Sep 09, 2009
The fact that this is a rock band and not an orchestra, and is from Atlanta, GA and not Manchester, UK, does not influence my feelings on the music. Let's not forget the Bay City Rollers were not from Michigan, they were Scottish. Hmmm.
In "Mean Everything To Nothing", Manchester Orchestra evokes the thrill of "alternative" revealing its secrets (and rendering its moniker useless) to the mainstream ca 1991-1993, as though seminal Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana records from those days were implanted in their DNA.
Silversun Pickups, while playing in the same ballpark as Manchester Orchestra, has probably done a better job thus far at starting to carve its own identity out of this template. Manchester Orchestra, despite leader Andy Hull's burgeoning gift for melodic hookiness, still lurks under the long shadows of their genre/influences...
With a little emo-screamo here ("Shake It Out", "The River"), maybe a little Jane's Addiction there ("I've Got Friends"), a thick slab of Black Sabbath here ("Pride", and they should send Tommy Iommi a check), Nirvana there ("In My Teeth"), Bright Eyes flare-ups here and there, Manchester Orchestra still might have a ways to go to implant themselves in someone else's DNA, but they're sure making a joyfully tortured noise as they try to crack the code. A particularly fabulous part, for me, was the outro of "Everything to Nothing", an unexpected circus waltz trailing out of the body of the song as though viewing it from above, in a dream.
3-1/2 stars.
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