Review: Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math

AbsolutePunk May 3, 2011

”I remember seeing the Blood Brothers play at the Masquerade and it scaring me to my core. I’d never heard of them. I just went with a friend, and then shortly after that I realized that I want that power. I wanted that power just to shock people with sound.” – Andy Hull

The first time I ever met Andy Hull, we connected a bit on a love for The Blood Brothers. Not a band you would expect the frontman and lyricist of Manchester Orchestra to have a heart for, but in reality, Hull has quite a musical archive of influence, even telling me how he likes turning fans onto new bands or ones they may never have heard of. Aside from his admiration as a music fan, the above pulled quote also speaks volumes in a quest to be not only challenged, but have the audacity to simply “put up or shut up.” With 2009’s Mean Everything to Nothing, the band saw a sophomore incline of sorts: two radio singles and a well-received album that personally landed in my lap at one of the biggest changes in my life thus far. On the most personal of levels, the band’s second release was the perfect soundtrack to leaving college and moving away as Deja Entendu was the score when entering it.

AbsolutePunk Apr 18, 2011

Music fans are usually faced with quite the dilemma when they are looking forward to a new record, especially if it’s coming from a band they’re particularly fond of. Do you want them to evolve – perhaps taking a leap to something you might not enjoy as much – or do you want them to stay…consistent? For the most part, the consensus seems to be that bands need to evolve to stay relevant. Grow with their audience, as some might say. Some bands do just fine by staying static, though. Look at New Found Glory: a consistent sound has lead them to become perhaps the greatest pop punk band ever. When they strayed a bit, on Coming Home, fans were generally displeased.

Silverstein is another band that has utilized a tried-and-true formula throughout its career, and Rescue, the band’s fifth studio album and debut for Hopeless Records, sees the Canadians doing more of the same. While the band won many over with its 2005 breakout, Discovering the Waterfront, fans of the band seemed to either grow more loyal or completely become disinterested when Arrivals and Departures and A Shipwreck In The Sand showcased similar sounds. The latter was Silverstein’s last record, a concept album which I considered to be fairly underrated.

Drew Beringer Apr 12, 2011

Honestly, we all should have seen this coming from Thursday. They’ve been dropping hints of a more atmospheric and textured sound in their records over the past five years (A City By The Light Divided, their split EP with Envy, and Common Existence). So anyone who is saying that their new album, No Devolución, is a new beginning or rebirth for the band just haven’t been paying attention. The common Thursday traits are still present: Geoff Rickly’s not-perfect-yet-so-perfect croon, distorted guitars, thick instrumentation, and, of course, Rickly’s realistic and cathartic lyrics. What’s different is that No Devolución isn’t as abrasive as Thursday albums past, rather it’s soaked in luscious, experimental tones and dark melodies.

Drew Beringer Apr 5, 2011

Ya know, Christopher Browder isn’t so different from you and me. Based on his previous work, I’d bet that we’ve felt the same as him at point or another in our lives, whether it be the same fears, thoughts, or aspirations. We’re all heavily flawed, and Browder isn’t afraid to share that. And that’s what makes Mansions’ second full length album, Dig Up The Dead, so instantly relatable. Throughout the ten tracks, Browder spins together intricate tales of loneliness, heartbreak, and doubt backed by layers of fuzzy, distorted guitars.

Blake Solomon Mar 20, 2011

This is what you wanted, right? A “return to form” – i.e. slick pop layered over synths, the occasional crunchy guitar and a weird fascination with Vaudeville (despite none of us knowing what that really means) – yep, this is you getting what you wanted. And although getting what we wanted can sometimes lead to felonies or regrettable Zune tattoos (R.I.P.), in this case what we wanted is what’s best for us and both remaining members of Panic!(!) At The Disco. With Vices & Virtues, Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith have created an album that isn’t mature, because what does that even mean, but an album that understands from its first note where it’s going and the best way to get there.

Thomas Nassiff Mar 7, 2011

When Yellowcard announced its hiatus in 2008, the popular opinion was that the band was done for good. Listeners who felt as though they would never hear another record from the Jacksonville, Fla., five-piece pop-punk innovators were definitely not alone. While the band was only gone for just over two years ― not that long of a break in the grand scheme of things ― plenty of signs pointed to the conclusion that they were finished. Frontman Ryan Key started a new band called Big If, Longineu Parsons was drumming for other projects, and the other members of the group were strewn across the country each doing their own things. Capitol Records even came out with a weird four-track EP of previously released Yellowcard material entitled Deep Cuts.

AbsolutePunk Feb 16, 2011

There’s something that a lot of bands in today’s music scene don’t have. It’s a combination of things, really. It’s the consistency to be great, even good, over a considerable length of time, coupled with the guts and killer instinct to try out new things, to stretch boundaries and challenge themselves as musicians.

Bayside is a band that has that combination. With the release of its fifth studio full-length since 2004, Bayside has once again proven the notion that bands can keep the same sound they’ve had for years while still growing and putting out refreshingly worthwhile records. Killing Time takes the sound that the band focused on with 2008’s Shudder and mixes in glimpses of great Bayside records of years past. There are certain audible glimpses throughout the course of the 10-track record where fans familiar with Bayside’s earlier work will pick out parts where Bayside sounds like its old self, and parts where fans will notice that the band is trying something they’ve never done before.

Drew Beringer Nov 9, 2010

It’s truly amazing that Underoath is still a band in the year 2010. After the great success of 2006’s Define The Great Line, the band unexpectedly dropped off the Warped Tour and disappeared, coming close to breaking up due to screamer Spencer Chamberlain’s personal issues. The band bounced back from that rough patch to release the furious Lost In The Sound of Separation. Despite everything, the band had emerged even stronger. But they had to pump the brakes once again. Tension and disconnect between the band (Chamberlain, guitarists Tim McTague and James Smith, bassist Grant Brandell, and keyboardist Chris Dudley) and vocalist/drummer Aaron Gillespie (the last remaining Underoath member) led to his departure from the band earlier this year. Once again faced with the prospect of disbanding, the band decided to fight through it, enlisting Daniel Davison (formerly of the Almighty Norma Jean) to replace Gillespie behind the kit. After a few jam sessions, the band grew closer, relaxed, and realized that they could attempt some things on their next record that they could never do with Gillespie (as it should be no surprise that he enjoyed the pop side of things). Many things have tried to destroy the Florida, metalcore outfit, but just like Michael Myers, no matter how many times you try to kill them, they always come back stronger. And what emerged from the band’s latest struggles and triumphs may be the band’s greatest achievement.

Thomas Nassiff Nov 5, 2010

Forrest Kline has perhaps outdone himself. Frontman for powerpop group Hellogoodbye, Kline was the genius behind the group’s 2006 debut full length Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! That album sold over half a million copies and “Here (In Your Arms)” became a platinum single, so to outdo himself after that must have required quite the feat.

Would It Kill You? is that feat. The group’s new full length finds itself released near the end of an incredible year of music, but holds its own as one of the top releases in 2010. Undoubtedly the best poppy release this year, and probably one of the best of the last five years or so, Would It Kill You? is better than its predecessor in many ways.

But it seems almost unfair to compare the two albums because it’s almost as if two completely different bands wrote them. The difference is evident right from opener “Finding Something To Do”. Where there once was disco-esque electronics, there is an acoustic guitar. Where there once were autotuned vocals, there is now…erm…better normal vocals. Point is, this band has progressed about as much as any band can progress in four years. While not many can resist the nostalgia of songs like “Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn” and “Touchdown Turnaround”, the post-Drive Thru Records version of Hellogoodbye proves to be much more substantial.

Drew Beringer Oct 29, 2010

Four years ago, Senses Fail displayed a sonic shift in their music with the releases of their second album, Still Searching. Featuring improved lyrics and vocals, as well as a more aggressive approach in their song writing, the band won over new fans with this release. It was so well-received that fans were disappointed when 2008’s Life Is Not A Waiting Room was more of the same. The New Jersey quartet wasn’t pleased either, as vocalist Buddy Nielsen voiced his displeasure over that record and vowed that the follow-up would be the band’s best yet. Nielsen and company went into the studio to create their most complete album ever, aptly named The Fire. Full of aggression and just enough catchiness to please both types of fans, The Fire is an album that most of Senses Fail’s peers wish they could make.

Drew Beringer Oct 12, 2010

For a while, things didn’t look too good. It’d been five years since Sufjan Stevens released Illinois, the second album in his 50 States project, and fans hadn’t heard any news on the project – or his music- until sometime in 2009, when Stevens announced he was done with the project. Let’s be real, we knew he probably wouldn’t keep up with it, but wouldn’t it have been nice to hear a New York or Kansas album? Even more troubling than the demise of his project was the revelation that Stevens was thinking about quitting. Publicly questioning the mere purpose of creating music since albums were becoming obsolete due to downloading, Stevens just seemed disillusioned and tired. Thankfully, he found it within himself to release the All Delighted People EP earlier this year, shortly followed by the announcement that his sixth proper album, The Age of Adz, would be releasing in the fall. But fans were blindsided once again by Stevens once Adz traveled into ear canals everywhere. The 50 States project wasn’t the only thing that got left behind this year, as Stevens’ brand of folk is nowhere to be found outside of the deceiving opening track (“Futile Devices”). Instead, Stevens has rebuilt himself and his music with new themes, glitchy electronics, booming drums, Auto-tune, and more.

AbsolutePunk Sep 29, 2010

There has to be a plaque somewhere in Jimmy Eat World’s recording studio reading “With great power comes great responsibility.” A fitting mantra for more than Peter Parker’s web-slinging morality wars, when you’re one of the most dependable and profoundly influential rock bands on the planet, keeping your ears to the ground and never abandoning your legend is a heck of a responsibility. Harnessing their impeccable creative powers once again, Invented is a melting pot of Jimmy Eat World’s notoriously engaging rock music that showcases ample use of dedication, skill and intelligence over 50 minutes that will burn into your brain (with delight). Fight them off, they come back stronger. You can try to restrain the strength of Jim Adkins’ flawless vocals or even attempt to push the most talented rhythm section in alternative rock out of your way, but it’s no use. Jimmy Eat World has this down to a science and you would be hard-pressed to find this all much ado about nothing.

AbsolutePunk Sep 27, 2010

Chiodos are certainly one of the most polarizing bands in the scene today. Having seen a large amount of success with their first two full-length albums All’s Well That Ends Welland Bone Palace Ballet, the ousting of frontman and lead singer Craigery Owens came as a shock to the outside world. From the inside though, it was clearly what the group thought was best for them. With Illuminaudio, their third release on Equal Vision Records, it’s clear that they’ve moved on and are setting their sights on bigger things than ever.

When Owens and the group parted ways, fans wondered how Chiodos would fare heading forth with new vocalist Brandon Bolmer (formerly of Yesterday’s Rising). There were a lot of opinions circulating that the group should change their name, as Owens’ vocal style and presence was what made the band so unique and distinguishable. However, the success that Chiodos saw with their first two releases was not universal, and a lot of members on this website had negative feelings towards Chiodos and Owens while they were at the height of their popularity. Now, with Bolmer, new drummer Tanner Wayne (formerly of Underminded and Scary Kids Scaring Kids), and original members Bradley Bell, Matt Goddard, Jason Hale, and Pat McManaman, Chiodos offer up one of the most intriguing records of 2010 with Illuminaudio.

Drew Beringer Aug 19, 2010

What a strange two year (or so) journey it has been for one of the most promising bands in the scene, Springfield, Illinois’, The Graduate. After releasing their debut album Anhedonia to much fanfare and critical acclaim, their label, Icon Mes, folded, and the band found themselves without a home. After a short tour in late 2008, the band decided not to dwell on the label issue and began to work on new material. After a year and half of being label-less, Razor & Tie signed the quintet, bringing relief to fans that have waited so long for new material. And it is well worth the wait, as their second full-length, Only Every Time, is the sound of a band realizing their full potential.

AbsolutePunk Aug 10, 2010

There’s something about The Colour Revolt’s music that has always been uneasy to listen to. It’s truthful and blatantly tears sutures across the walls of a secluded mind left alone with its innermost thoughts. Some beautiful. Some frightening. All real and passionate. The music also carries just as much of the weight as Jesse Coppenbarger lyrics. There’s Southern tinge and biblical proportioning of vocal phrasing and earnest attitude.

Review: Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math

Review: Silverstein – Rescue

Review: Thursday – No Devolución

Review: Mansions – Dig Up The Dead

Review: Panic! at the Disco – Vices & Virtues

Review: Yellowcard – When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes

Review: Bayside – Killing Time

Review: Underoath – Ø (Disambiguation)

Review: Hellogoodbye – Would It Kill You?

Review: Senses Fail – The Fire

Review: Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz

Review: Jimmy Eat World – Invented

Review: Chiodos – Illuminaudio

Review: The Graduate – Only Every Time

Review: The Colour Revolt – The Cradle