So here we begin again.
Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
In the beginning, Manchester Orchestra played alternative rock that was soaked in southern rock mentalities. A sweet mix of twang-filled guitars, snares, and vocals that boarder on whiny, but never become irritating. After just one album the band developed a more straight forward rock sound that nearly ditched their southern inheritance in favor for a deeper chamber of rock. Their album Mean Everything To Nothing still lingers in my brain and has cemented a spot in my heart as one of my favorite albums I grew up with.
After just two years, the follow-up record was released and now we have Simple Math. A record that takes the best parts of METN and mixes them into the same formula that they used to create their debut record, I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child. At first listen, this was a bittersweet record for me. There wasn't a lot there that kept me listening to METN that is clearly visible when you sit listening to the new record. Different, heartfelt, and dynamic; that's what this record can be summarized as. Enough with summarization, let's take a closer look at this new record.
One constant on all the Manchester Orchestra records, is the healthy dose of mellow paced songs that nearly exclusively features frontman Andy Hull. Simple Math starts out with one of those slower songs and it sets the early tone for the record. "Deer" is drenched in autobiographical aura and never escapes more than Hull with a guitar and a backing orchestra. As with most ManO songs, the lyrics are very sentimental and hold a great weight to them that can be felt with every syllable spoke. The manner in which Andy Hull utters these words comes across as a letter to his darling and you feel deeply blessed to be able to overhear this cross-country phone call. This track is nothing unlike ManO has ever done before, but there is still a very pleasing element as soon as you hear it and it never escapes as long as the track lasts.After a sweet and genuine track, the record picks up with a gut wrenching guitar riff and it feels as if the skies are darkening. "Mighty" is that song that conjures up a storm in the verses and every facet of the track to only build up into a pure jolt of energy in the triumphant verse after the breakdown. Gang vocals, backing orchestra, it culminates into what you hear as the song fades into an ending. At first glance, this track was a great stand-out to me. After hearing the album a few more times, I still believe it is one of the better tracks on the album. Next up there's "Pensacola", which screams of Virgin-era Manchester. As soon as it hits the speakers you feel like this song is best represented by driving down a highway with nothing but fields and irrigation pipes surrounding you. Telecaster guitar twangs, Hull's letter-to-paper mentality of the lyrics and vocals, and the hard bass drum combined with the deep snare make for a good ol' time rock song.
"April Fool" starts out with the lyrics and takes off from there to a track that shows glimpses of METN. Using only heavy guitars and quick shifts in tempo, this track stands out as a trademark on this record. The album continues to grow with "Pale Black Eye", a subtle track that shines its own way. As a stand alone song, this track doesn't stand out, but in the context of the album, this is where the tide turns. This is the point where the album becomes dynamic and much like a film that hits a plot twist, this record takes a turn.
The record hits full tilt on the next track "Virgin", the best song on the album. Never before have I heard such a dynamic song be spun into a four minute weave. Starting out with chimes and rings, a voice calls out, and that voice gets interrupted as a simple, yet ominous guitar riff kicks in. The sound of young children echo the line: "We built this house with our hands / and our time / and our blood". Repeating, over and over, that echo becomes monumental. The guitars, the drums, the keyboards, the vocals, all of them synchronize to build this song up into a behemoth of entanglement. Never becoming a typhoon of sound, every piece is layered perfectly to create an epic track that needs to be heard to be believed.
After that roller coaster comes the title track and just as much of a dynamic song. The difference between "Virgin" and "Simple Math" is elementary. As "Vigin" was pieced together by the guitar and drum aesthetic, "Simple Math" holds its building blocks in the keyboards and vocals. Just a simple guitar strum until the chorus, this song stays level and mellow but culminates at the three minute mark. The first song that was released from this album, I believed that if the entire album was along the same strand as this song, it would be a masterpiece. My expectations were met with a different style of a record, but my enjoyment hasn't subsided. After the dynamics before it, "Leave It Alone" stays in the soft hemisphere and relies much more on Andy Hull's ability to croon with his unique higher-pitched smoker's voice. Just as with other songs on this record, "Leave It Alone" is much more about being a complimentary piece to other songs, than to stand out by itself; there's something to be said for that.
Another one of the stand out tracks on this album is "Apprehension". There's a strange 90's alternative vibe to this song, as if Manchester is playing in a karaoke time machine. Tight drumming and simple guitars propel this song along and build an easy-going atmosphere to the track as a whole. Granted, the vocals have that bite to it, but the music behind the voice never evolves into what the vocals would indicate. If there's any negativity to this song at all, it's that it seems out of place. Among dynamic tracks and softer songs of single guitars and vocals, this track is the middle ground and plays well into that fit. I'll chalk it up to track sequencing, because the song by itself is enjoyable. The finale, "Leaky Breaks", starts out as something out of an old Dukes Of Hazzard episode. The longest track on the album, this song uses every second to milk out the melancholy southern tone that Manchester has always seemed to possess, but was the muscle they never flexed. This is a song that won't get a lot of praise, but I find it to be one of the most reassuring tracks on the record.
Overall, this record is very enjoyable and stands out as one of the top albums of the year so far. Granted, I may be biased because of my allegiance to the band, but I would recommend this record to a lot of people. The appeal to a broad audience is there. Simply an autobiography set to music, Simple Math hits every curve and hill with ease and keeps you guessing through every verse or chorus. At first, I greeted this album with hostility; now I gladly welcome it into my stereo and sing its praises.
Recommended If You Like: Thrice - Beggers, Manchester Orchestra - I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child, The Allman Brothers Band - Idlewild South
Verdict: 9.5 / 10
