Reivew: Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything To Nothing

On Mean Everything To Nothing, Manchester Orchestra is a chameleon – and every color is vibrant. I enjoyed their 2006 release I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child, but I was immediately struck by what a fun ride Mean Everything To Nothing is. The range of dynamics and intensity is incredible; certain strains rip your face off, while others warm you. Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh’s are mixed with blistering drop-D riffs; jangly pianos and tambourines with blood-curdling howls. The innate quality construction of the songs combined with Joe Chiccarelli (The Shins, White Stripes, My Morning Jacket, Mika) & Company’s production make the album a concise and alluring package.

There seems to be something formulaic these days with talented young musicians with great beards. Singer and songwriter Andy Hull’s skillful songwriting, along with his beard, certainly adds him to the ranks of Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Ray LaMontagne, Ben Gibbard (sometimes), and Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam. Hull’s voice reminds me of Matthew Sweet in the role of the Incredible Hulk. Lovable and innocent sounding as his voice occasionally crackles to hit intervals, Hull suddenly transforms into an untamed terrorizer. And then back again. The lyrics are notably thought-out and personal throughout, frequently with a feeling of disillusionment with tradition and his Christian ideals (I am the only son of a pastor I know who does the things I do, Hull sings in the opening track.)

The influence of Southern rock can be heard on the band, which comes from the Atlanta, GA area, and when it’s combined with the energy and angst of the band’s youth the result is great. Musically all players shift modes in sync, and as a result the delicates are really delicates and the riffs are grimy as hell.

Visit Manchester Orchestra’s website.

A friend of mine bought Manchester Orchestra’s Mean Everything to Nothing at Target, and the older Hispanic cashier told him how pretty their music is. Something tells me she was confusing the Manchester Orchestra with the London Philharmonic.

On Mean Everything To Nothing, Manchester Orchestra is a chameleon – and every color is vibrant. I enjoyed their 2006 release I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child, but I was immediately struck by what a fun ride Mean Everything To Nothing is. The range of dynamics and intensity is incredible; certain strains rip your face off, while others warm you. Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh’s are mixed with blistering drop-D riffs; jangly pianos and tambourines with blood-curdling howls. The innate quality construction of the songs combined with Joe Chiccarelli (The Shins, White Stripes, My Morning Jacket, Mika) & Company’s production make the album a concise and alluring package.

There seems to be something formulaic these days with talented young musicians with great beards. Singer and songwriter Andy Hull’s skillful songwriting, along with his beard, certainly adds him to the ranks of Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Ray LaMontagne, Ben Gibbard (sometimes), and Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam. Hull’s voice reminds me of Matthew Sweet in the role of the Incredible Hulk. Lovable and innocent sounding as his voice occasionally crackles to hit intervals, Hull suddenly transforms into an untamed terrorizer. And then back again. The lyrics are notably thought-out and personal throughout, frequently with a feeling of disillusionment with tradition and his Christian ideals (I am the only son of a pastor I know who does the things I do, Hull sings in the opening track.)

The influence of Southern rock can be heard on the band, which comes from the Atlanta, GA area, and when it’s combined with the energy and angst of the band’s youth the result is great. Musically all players shift modes in sync, and as a result the delicates are really delicates and the riffs are grimy as hell.

Visit Manchester Orchestra’s website.