Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything to Nothing
Sony Music (4/21/09)
Indie rock / Alternative
Manchester Orchestra’s second album, Mean Everything to Nothing, is an amazing journey through the minds of the Atlanta-based quintet, who have managed to bring back the heart and soul of a good rock album—that, we all know, is way past due.
That said, this is an album that is clearly divided into two halves. The first six tracks create a chaotic mass this is extremely thick and heavy sounding, as we hear the angst and confusion in singer Andy Hull’s voice, accompanied by the hefty bass presence. But the second half feels as if a weight has been lifted, as everything seems to be lighter, almost like a feeling of acceptance, after the dust has settled following the first six tracks.
The album starts out strong with “The Only One”, a twangy, bluesy, rock tune (in the vein of Kings of Leon) that displays Hull’s cathartic vocal and lyrical abilities. Digging deeper into the album, each track begins to show the guts of the band and what they are really made of. “Shake It Out” builds on this with a richer, heavier sound, as they sound tight and completely unified as a group. Although, the tracks in the first half of the album tend to be angry and intense, the beautiful melodies created by Manchester Orchestra still carry the songs. There almost seems to be a cue taken from the Pixies and Nirvana, with a soft-into-heavy-then-repeat-type song structure.
With the track “Pride”, the band hits home with a pure, classic rock sound. It is full and deep, but they are still able make it their own with a bluesy, almost-country spin, without it being even the slightest bit overbearing. Leaving the first half of the album, the last track “100 Dollars”, which is the romantic comedy of the album, is also a great transition into the lighter second half.
The next six tracks are considerably less intense, but no less meaningful. The sounds produced by the band become more orchestral sounding—as well they should, given the band’s name. The sound of a cello, made by a keyboard, can be heard in the track “I Can Feel a Hot One”, which is the quintessential ballad of the album. MO did fall into the trap of the secret track on the album, with “Jimmy the Whispers”, which kicks in about two minutes after the last track. It definitely sticks with the theme of the second half of the album, but also does what most secret tracks do, as it’s low in quality and under-produced to the point that every time Hull opens his mouth the sound of the spit bubbles escaping the sides of his mouth can be heard. It’s still good for what it is, which is a raw take on the band’s sound, but it’s too bad that we couldn’t hear a more polished version of this.
Overall, Mean Everything to Nothing is a great album, that indie rock fans will genuinely enjoy, especially fans of Nirvana, Modest Mouse and Sunny Day Real Estate. Though in the end, it flows almost like two albums side-by-side, it is still definitely worth checking out.
