It has come to my attention that my last few posts have been socio-political diatribes. My loyal readers, I would assume, must be asking themselves, "where are the mildly witty Pitchfork-bashing music 'reviews' ?" To that query I answer with this post.
One of my most anticipated albums for 2009 is Manchester Orchestra's Mean Everything to Nothing, which is slated for release early in the year (I hope this is indeed the case and they don't Chinese Democracy the release date). Although their 2006 debut I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child is a little melodramatic at times, I find it to be done with a sincerity that makes singer Andy Hull's wailing and whining digestible. Furthermore, upon seeing the band live and experiencing Hull's vulnerability and passion in each song, in each lyric, in each syllable, I managed to connect to Virgin on a deeper level--now as I listen to each track I personally feel emotionally invested. Their 2008 EP Let My Pride Be What's Left Behind suffices as a delicious appetizer for the forthcoming album. The two new tracks on the EP perfectly capture the contrasting sides to Manchester Orchestra: "I can feel a hot one" is a slow-moving, melancholy track that does not ascend towards a grand climax, rather it builds upon a repetitious comfort and a simple but soothing guitar riff; "I was a lid" is an ascending rocker that captures the darker intensity Hull says the new album will be abound with--the track reaches a near-riotous peak during the bridge, complete with triple vocals.
