Full Review: Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything To Nothing
If the hype and general hysteria hasn’t already convinced you to buy the new album from Manchester Orchestra then something may be wrong with you. I’m sure if you just listened to either “I’ve Got Friends” or “Shake It Out” that would convince you that this crazed and often hyperactive rock band is the what you need to fulfill your musical desires for 2009.
Can we just cut through all the haze surrounding ‘Mean Everything To Nothing’ for just a second and figure out what this release is all about? Right off the bat “The Only One” foreshadows the type of lyrics you can expect throughout when it begins with “…I am the only son of pastor I know who does the things I do…”. One of the things getting thrown around as to the greatness of this band is their lyrical content. That’s one of the things though that I find scattered and often seem to be spit out in hopes of seeming brilliant but, although there are moments of brilliance, the moments don’t make up the rest.
The music is decent. I know such a monotone and noncommittal statement might seem out of place when talking about Manchester Orchestra but very few songs maintain enjoyable music the entire way through. Besides the obvious singles like “Shake It Out” and “I’ve Got Friends” which both go for the jugular in terms of latching their hooks into you, the song I kept coming back to was “Tony The Tiger” which had all the right things in all the right places, never trying to outdo itself. The passion on this record is matched by very few other bands out there right now. Seemingly out of nowhere can come fits of both controlled and uncontrolled rage that are able to jump out of the speakers grabbing some listeners but pushing others away.
Let me make this clear that an album not living up to its hype is never a reason not to like it or not a reason to try and evaluate it for what it actually is. The time spent with ‘Mean Everything To Nothing’ has shown that it is merely a better produced and often advanced progression of the band’s last album, ‘I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child’ which I didn’t care much for either.
April 21st, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Let me start by saying that I loved “I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child,” which is why I wasn’t crazy about the first half of this album. Somewhere after “100 Dollars” however, I started to hear the Manchester Orchestra that I know and love. “I’ve Got Friends” and “The Only One” are definitely growing on me, and are probably my favorite tracks, but theyre a lot different from the stripped-down indie rock feel of much of the first album. Some of this comes back in tracks like “Tony the Tiger.”
Your comment about the lyrical content is what I have thought about the band from the beginning. Some very clever lines, but many times scattered through songs without a lot of cohesion. Luckily, I think the general themes in songs stay consistent, and the music behind is enough to make it great.
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:04 am
Well alright, your opinion is valid. It seems (much like your FOB review) that you really don’t care for the band overall. I already bought my copy yesterday and have formed my own opinions. At least now there is one review out there that isn’t in love with the album, perhaps it’ll allow for a little perspective for potential buyers. I still think it’ll end up in my TOP 10 albums of 2009.
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:09 am
I appreciate that response. I don’t have anything against the band or even the album I just didn’t like it that much. I wanted to, in terms of, I’m always looking for music I enjoy, but it just didn’t happen this time around.
April 25th, 2009 at 9:26 am
I completely agree with the first comment.