I decided for my second blog I would review one of my newly favorite CD’s that I highly recommend to any music lovers looking for a new listen. The band is Manchester Orchestra who has been a favorite of mine for years but has recently released this album, Mean Everything to Nothing. I have been listening to this CD relentlessly over the past 5 days, and I have come to love this album in a way that I don’t love many albums. This album is very, very different from Like A Virgin Losing A Child (there last release and most popular), but the talent and quality of writing has stayed exactly the same. This CD comes at you quick and upbeat with its first track- The Only One, some great catchy, upbeat guitar, and some classic sounding Andy Hull vocals. Something I should mention is that Andy Hull is the lead singer and is the heart of the band. He is known for his lyrics and way with words by use of amazing harmonies and extremely catchy melodies. This is a very short song, only 2:39, very light, but definitely sets a great tone, just leaves you feeling good afterwards. The guitar at the end is very fun and intentionally shows great contrast with the next tune. Then, Shake It Out brings on the emotion. This song, ugh, just hits hard. The vocals take on a whole new form for Manchester. There is harshness in Andy’s voice that just sets you up for the tone of the next 3 songs after it and is a style that fans are not used to. Incredibly meaningful, every single word that he sings, and the guitar is really powerful too. Everything about the way the song was put together, the gang vocals even, just make you focus on the lyrics, SHAKE IT OUT, and the energy behind them. The break down in the song, reveals his fear in all of this, coming back around with some VERY strong guitar to the same thing he said before, only this time with more power than ever, truly an epic tune. The next few songs have a very similar feel, “Pride” is a great tune that is VERY different from even the other new Manchester songs… Has a very hard rock guitar line that I would have never expected almost metal, but still sounds so great. Then, the second half of the song, is a really catchy cycle of lyrics over some great guitar, just really makes you wanna move around, what a great groove. “In My Teeth” is also really good, a great song to drive to I think, as I find is the best environment for listening to a favorite album. Andy then slows it down with “100 Dollars,” which is a very short but very moving but my least favorite. It tells the story of the first argument Andy and his wife had as newlyweds that I feel could have been left off the album. “I Can Feel A Hot One” comes next, which is a great song that was actually already released last January (I believe). Great tune, although some people are unhappy with the engineered/produced side of this song and how it was changed from the EP, I don’t really think the difference matters that much to me, I like both versions and I don’t think the drums being lower really affects me much. The second half of the cd takes a whole new turn though. The roughness becomes less common, and Andy takes on a much cleaner tone in his vocals, something we fans our much more accustomed to. “My Friend Marcus” introduces the album title, “And now I can see, you mean everything to nothing, we mean everything.” It is a great song with a great meaning, about being lost and trying to find meaning in a world with so many people who just don’t realize or care about all these people in the world without a place to call home. Then “Tony the Tiger” mellows it out with some really catchy, soft lyrics. For some reason, which I cannot explain, I find the end of this song to be the catchiest part of the CD. It is not even really a song that I relate to in any way, but still, “Didn’t think you would actually do it, Woa woa woaaaa,” gets stuck in my head CONSTANTLY. It’s quite a hook. “Everything to Nothing” really hits hard with the emotion again, readying the listener for the final track and just happens to be my favorite. The guitar lines and emotion in the lyrics really hit home for me. The simplest line is sung in the most beautiful way… “You mean everything…” His voice always displays every inch of emotion behind it, and it really kills me. And then again, later in the song, “You mean everything to nothing, you mean everything to nobody but me.” Just gives you chills, ridiculous. The last track is a pretty epic finish, with it being about Andy’s need to be cleansed, and asking God to help him do that. It really is a moving song and a great way to end the cd. Theres a line or two, where he slides his voice, where I hear a little Colour Revolt come out another one of my favorite bands who are great friends with Manchester as they are from the same area. I feel this the band’s love for Colour Revolt really came out in this CD, with the guitar and the vocals, and I like the blend that it created. The hidden track after “The River,” called “Jimmy, He Whispers” sounds like a Right Away Great Captain tune which is Andy’s solo project and is mainly acoustic as is this final track. The subtleness of this song really leaves you in a state of peace after enduring such a powerful cd full of energy and emotion. Overall, just a ridiculously epic album, that everyone needs to listen to at least once.
Manchester Orchestra- “Mean Everything to Nothing” – Quinn Buerkett
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