Review
Manchester Orchestra's "Mean Everything to Nothing"
- Author:
- Review Date:
- 4/20/09
In a world littered with corruption, falsity and bad pop music (it had to be said), it is rejuvenating when a band comes along and creates something raw, honest and unapologetic. Thank God for Manchester Orchestra, a quintet from Atlanta, Georgia, and their second album Mean Everything to Nothing, a candid peek into one man’s trials and tribulations. And, boy, this is an album. Very few bands these days know how to write and record an album that can be appreciated in its entirety, but Manchester Orchestra had no intention of throwing songs together. They had a plan.
The first song on the record “The Only One” is a great starter as the inner monologue of Andy Hull, the band’s lead vocalist and lyricist. The song establishes what the first half of the album will sound like: an urgent and, at times, angry assault on some of life’s hardest tests. Each song rushes into one after the other, leaving no time in between songs to ponder or digest what you’ve just heard. The second song “Shake It Out” is an up-tempo angst-ridden accusation that flows into the band’s single, “I’ve Got Friends”. The album doesn’t dare stop its tirade until the seventh song “I Can Feel a Hot One”, in which the now subdued voice of the teenager on the first six songs becomes that of a man accepting the suicide of a loved one. It is also clear from the get go that Andy Hull is haunted by his Christian upbringing when sings warnings such as “Well Jesus is coming/ Better act our age”. From there the songs become much slower and the lyrics take on a more mature and less accusatory tone. “My Friend Marcus” is a more reflective piece and the last song, “The River” is a cry for rejuvenation and peace. Andy Hull is candid and frank in his lyrics, not afraid to reveal what I am sure are difficult and very personal subjects and events. Hull’s voice barrels at the listener, fearless and unrepentant, yet still retaining a small speckling of vulnerability. His voice cracks and croons with emotional intensity that cannot be rehearsed, but must be spontaneous (every song was recorded live).
What really makes this record a standout is the multi-dimensional use of keyboard, guitar and percussion. Each instrument carefully overlays one another in a manner that creates an ocean of sound to drown oneself in. Robert McDowell’s guitar riffs match each emotion portrayed in the lyrics, with melodies that crash and turn unexpectedly. The keys, played by Christopher Freeman, used in most of the songs also add small melodies that add yet another dimension to the music. The songs were meant to portray human emotion, and the sound manages to capture the roller coaster that is life in each song without being too over-the-top or over-produced. Each song could be stripped down to nothing but acoustic guitar and still have the same emotional intensity. The transition from the first half to the last is a bit rough as the last few songs of the album slow down a little too quickly. It’s like going from driving a Lamborghini to a golf cart, and jumping from one to the next leaves me a bit dizzy. Besides that transition, I find this album to be a real piece of modern rock art, in competition with bands such as Foo Fighters and Kings of Leon.
How this band isn’t more well-known by rock snobs such as me is puzzling, but I will comfort myself with the knowledge that good things come to those that make great music. The album will be released April 21, 2009. I suggest you pick it up and give yourself a good kick in the ass.
The first song on the record “The Only One” is a great starter as the inner monologue of Andy Hull, the band’s lead vocalist and lyricist. The song establishes what the first half of the album will sound like: an urgent and, at times, angry assault on some of life’s hardest tests. Each song rushes into one after the other, leaving no time in between songs to ponder or digest what you’ve just heard. The second song “Shake It Out” is an up-tempo angst-ridden accusation that flows into the band’s single, “I’ve Got Friends”. The album doesn’t dare stop its tirade until the seventh song “I Can Feel a Hot One”, in which the now subdued voice of the teenager on the first six songs becomes that of a man accepting the suicide of a loved one. It is also clear from the get go that Andy Hull is haunted by his Christian upbringing when sings warnings such as “Well Jesus is coming/ Better act our age”. From there the songs become much slower and the lyrics take on a more mature and less accusatory tone. “My Friend Marcus” is a more reflective piece and the last song, “The River” is a cry for rejuvenation and peace. Andy Hull is candid and frank in his lyrics, not afraid to reveal what I am sure are difficult and very personal subjects and events. Hull’s voice barrels at the listener, fearless and unrepentant, yet still retaining a small speckling of vulnerability. His voice cracks and croons with emotional intensity that cannot be rehearsed, but must be spontaneous (every song was recorded live).
What really makes this record a standout is the multi-dimensional use of keyboard, guitar and percussion. Each instrument carefully overlays one another in a manner that creates an ocean of sound to drown oneself in. Robert McDowell’s guitar riffs match each emotion portrayed in the lyrics, with melodies that crash and turn unexpectedly. The keys, played by Christopher Freeman, used in most of the songs also add small melodies that add yet another dimension to the music. The songs were meant to portray human emotion, and the sound manages to capture the roller coaster that is life in each song without being too over-the-top or over-produced. Each song could be stripped down to nothing but acoustic guitar and still have the same emotional intensity. The transition from the first half to the last is a bit rough as the last few songs of the album slow down a little too quickly. It’s like going from driving a Lamborghini to a golf cart, and jumping from one to the next leaves me a bit dizzy. Besides that transition, I find this album to be a real piece of modern rock art, in competition with bands such as Foo Fighters and Kings of Leon.
How this band isn’t more well-known by rock snobs such as me is puzzling, but I will comfort myself with the knowledge that good things come to those that make great music. The album will be released April 21, 2009. I suggest you pick it up and give yourself a good kick in the ass.