Obvious highlights include the heavily orchestral ‘Mighty’, the borderline eccentric vocals in ‘Pensacola’, the impressive instrumental tightness of ‘April Fool’, and the soaring musical and lyrical achievements of ‘Simple Math.’ However, there is nary a weak track on the album, in fact, one would be hard-pressed to find a song that is even average. Perhaps it can not be better summarized than Hull already states it in the closing line of the song: “ Dear everybody that has paid to see my band…I acted like an asshole so my albums would never burn…But I’m hungry now, and the scraps are dirty dirt.”Īs Simple Math runs its course, it obliterates expectations and defies the odds of a letdown with each and every one of its ten songs. Echoing guitar strings are plucked over a distant sounding chant, and like a burst of sunlight, vocalist Any Hull is already dropping moments of lyrical genius on us with lines like, “ Half a year and here you are again / I’d go out in public if nobody ever asked / I sit home and drink alone and hope that bottle speaks, like you, like us, like me.” The song exits quietly, bidding adieu to the past and welcoming in the future - welcoming in Simple Math. Even from the get-go, ‘Deer’ ushers Simple Math in like the dawning of a new era. A matter of weeks ago, one could have argued that Manchester Orchestra has long been atop of their game but Simple Math basically takes all the best aspects of the band, from the lush, moving ballads to the intense, raucous screams and makes something so fresh sounding and substantially more impressive that it is difficult to digest just how much their sound has progressed and matured. After all it is what they have been waiting for ever since the closing minutes of “The River”, a track not unlike the material present here only not quite as staggering. One listen is all it takes to be convinced of Simple Math’s brilliance, as its larger-than-life sound, gorgeous melodies, earnest lyrics, and sweeping strings will provide the transcendental experience of a lifetime – one that could forever change your opinion on what alternative southern rock bands are capable of achieving.įor avid fans of Manchester Orchestra, Simple Math is sure to be a spiritual occurrence. This was going to be masterful, and almost like some overpowering force of nature, there was nothing anyone could do to alter its destined course. At the same time, however, there was a mystical, intangible quality surrounding Simple Math that seemed to provide an unreasonable amount of reassurance. It was a logical fear, considering how impossible it would have been to top the musically epic and lyrically profound title track not to mention the fact that the band’s previous two releases, I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child and Mean Everything to Nothing, were both very well-received amongst a growing and ever loyal fan base. Expectations accumulated and became so concentrated that the threat of an immense letdown loomed on the horizon. From the release of the majestic single ‘Simple Math’ to the gradual unveiling of the rollicking ‘April Fool’ and haunting ‘Virgin’, there was no preventing the escalation that ensued. Manchester Orchestra’s Simple Math is one of those albums that seemed destined for great things. Review Summary: What if we’ve been trying to get to where we’ve always been?
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