Manchester Orchestra
(Canvasback/Favorite Gentlemen)
I never would have dreamed these guys had so much rock to give. I mean, I knew they had those tendencies. But last time out, on 2006's heartbreaking I'm Like a Virgin Losing A Child, the parts that did rock seemed to drop in out of nowhere, like the give-a-chimp-a-Stooges-record abandon of "Now That You're Home," where the explosive parts were offset by achingly delicate verses.
This time, nearly every track explodes at some point, starting with "The Only One," a wistful pop song that could be the Only Ones, bringing the hooks with the boyish enthusiasm of pop guys who like the Ramones. Other tracks here are closer to '90s alternative, from the anguished post-grunge pleas of "Shake It Out" to the anthemic power surge of "Everything to Nothing," which could pass for either Pearl Jam or Live. In fact, most songs here sound like they'd have been huge Modern Rock hits in the early '90s. And as much as I prefer them on the understated ache of "I Can Feel a Hot One" to the bombast of some other tracks, there's always something to be said for any band that can hit you with something as infectious as an "In My Teeth," which imagines a world where Kurt Cobain survived to co-write power-pop with drummer Dave Grohl (maybe even sending out for help from Gerald Collier of Best Kissers in the World).
Standout Tracks: "The Only One," "In My Teeth," "I Can Feel A Hot One" A. WATT
