The Album Review Club - End of Round #9 Break (page 1904)

Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
You are correct, and you're welcome for today's softball right over the plate. That was actually the Manchester Orchestra in the musical group photo.

Both you and @threespires know from our Playlist thread quite well on my enjoyment for this band and this selection.

A Black Mile To The Surface – Manchester Orchestra
(part 2 of my “Manchester” related selections)

Released in 2017, this album was the first by Atlanta group Manchester Orchestra that really drew me in to them and their sound. It was their 5th album, but with this release they reached well beyond their existing emo and alternative rock fanbase into the indie and Americana influences, to amazing success. In many aspects, this album was a reset to what the band had recorded prior. I’ve enjoyed all of their albums since going back to their beginnings, but this is the one I come back to as being my favourite.

Created and led by lead singer and guitarist Andy Hull, he chose the group name location due to the rich music history that has come from the City of Manchester after a summer of listening to “nothing but The Smiths”. Andy chose "Orchestra" as part of the name because he "didn't want to be in a band" and envisioned having “his friends come and be a part forming an orchestra".

The group certainly lives up to the sound with this album, and what originally attracted me to it on the whole were the lyrical themes that run throughout it. They changed their normally crunchy guitars that ran through most tracks and focused more on the story here, with the help of producer Catherine Marks (Foals, PJ Harvey, The Killers, Interpol) and recorded most of the tracks at Asheville’s Echo Mountain studio in my home state of NC.

The album has singles some may have heard on their own, but each song contributes towards the overall themes that really resonated with me. To me, they are:
  • The <Tracks> – each song (except one) is titled “The ____” and deals with a specific item, but still adds to the various thematic components throughout.
  • Fatherhood
  • Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in – tracks 2, 3, and 4 (title location of where this is) and the isolation of such that is the album title found in track 2 lyrics
  • Narrative theme of childhood abuse – middle tracks
  • Faith and Love and the Circle of Life
The central motif found in variations in songs of the album that there's nothing you've got when you die that you keep, is centered on Andy’s statement that “when this life ends, all you can do is hopefully affect and influence what happens after you.”

I’ve seen Manchester Orchestra up close three times live in very small venues, and they’ve delivered each and every time. I would highly recommend if you are able to catch them live (Castle Combe, UK at 2000trees on 11 July this summer). I’ve seen Andy perform solo and part of his Bad Books side-project too, and the stripped-down versions of a few of the songs with just an acoustic guitar was amazing as well. Enjoy!

Manchester Orchestra recorded this YouTube concert video of the entire album during Covid back at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville. Manchester Orchestra Presents: A Black Mile To The Surface (The Concert Film) is a tremendous live recording that captures the essence of the album too. Primarily for fans of, check it out:

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Not a band who i’d heard of ,until the odd song appeared on the playlist thread,and from those tracks and listening to the start of this album I think I’m going to enjoy this pick.
 
I saw these live....supporting Kings Of Leon in Brighton!!
Thought at the time, I would give them a listen, as I liked them, without knowing any songs (in fact I'd never heard of them)....but never did?
Hopefully will have the same 'omph' on record, that they had live, the guy playing keyboards/piano (can't remember which) was jumping around like an 80's guitar hero!!!....and not sound much 'softer' ;)
 
Damn...missed the cut off, been away since Friday and got back last night to no Internet...Tragically Hip didn't resonate with me. Dire singing followed up pretty poor lyrics. Nothing grabbed me at all. It gets a 2/10. Which means nothing now!
 
Just catching up. Not the first time I've been likened to one of those two and probably not the last. Personally I've always taken it as compliment.

A good pick, a band with an interesting history and sound(s). Will be dividing my cognitive capacity between a review and making additional suggestions on the Muppet front. Rob has to be Kermit if only because he's the thread show runner and is focused on keeping the wheels on the wagon. Have always thought were Animal a Brit he could only come from the Black Country :-)
 
threespires said:
Just catching up. Not the first time I've been likened to one of those two and probably not the last. Personally I've always taken it as compliment.
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and I'll confirm for you, it was.
threespires said:
Rob has to be Kermit if only because he's the thread show runner and is focused on keeping the wheels on the wagon.
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Probably the best analogy I've seen all day and heartily concur. Well done!
 
BlueHammer85 said:
I only know 'I Know How To Speak' by them and that's a simply stunning song.
Interested to hear a whole album by them.
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It is and there is another on this album in The Silence. I’ve listened to it a few times and have the download but still not sure what I make of it.

I think I have to be in a certain mood for it and good as those two tracks are they can feel a bit overwrought.

The Gold is another good song, the Pheobe Bridgers version also worth a listen.

Will be on the spot now to decide what I actually do think of this album.
 
journolud said:
It is and there is another on this album in The Silence. I’ve listened to it a few times and have the download but still not sure what I make of it.
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I make of it as the most powerful song on the album, and simply incredible live. One has to land the closer in my book, and this one does for me.
journolud said:
I think I have to be in a certain mood for it and good as those two tracks are they can feel a bit overwrought.
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Then you do get it. Intense it is.
journolud said:
The Gold is another good song, the Pheobe Bridgers version also worth a listen.
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Yeah, she's got just a few more Spotify listens than the band, LOL.
journolud said:
Will be on the spot now to decide what I actually do think of this album.
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Yeah, and will be curious what you do think given our common leanings. Wasn't sure where you were with this group prior, so an interesting perspective for me.
 
Side note on personal evolution — since the Some Girls nomination I’ve been going back and listening to a lot more Rolling Stones of late, especially “Exile On Main Street”, which I’ve realized 50+ years after its release is a truly great record. It’s a lot of fun to engage with classics, even much belatedly. Just a note of thanks again to @RobMCFC for continuing this thread and all the regulars here, new and old, for contributing so much music, new and old.

Onto Manchester Orchestra!
 
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