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Manchester Orchestra

I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child (2006)
Favorite Gentlemen

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Contributed by: BenAndThieves
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on July 13th 2007

The first time I heard Manchester Orchestra was when a friend of mine knocked on my door, handed me a CD, and told me I absolutely had to listen to it. I don’t think I can thank him enough for that, either. After giving I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child a couple listens, it was abundantly clear this band was (and is) onto something special. Heartfelt without being overly sappy, they’ve got a knack for writing catchy, emotionally driven indie pop songs that are both upbeat and yet slightly melancholic. They will burrow themselves into your subconscious and play themselves on repeat in your brain ad infinitum, which would probably drive you fucking insane if they were any less talented.

For a band that hasn’t hit their 20s yet, they’ve released an album here that is mature beyond their years, and they’ve done it on their own label (Favorite Gentlemen). Impressive. Guitarist and vocalist Andy Hull has an incredible voice, and he has an excellent sense of how to construct hook-laden vocal melodies to boot. The band’s layered instrumentation points toward the likes of The Snake the Cross the Crown (who they’ve recently hit the road with) but with less twang, or a more recent Brand New (who they've opened for on several recent tours) but less depressing and more hopeful.

On tracks like “Sleeper 1972” and the haunting “Where Have You Been?,” they’re achingly sentimental, and alternately on “Now That You’re Home,” they’re inspiringly optimistic. Some of the less creative song titles here (namely, the otherwise solid slow acoustic jams “I Can Feel Your Pain” and “Don’t Let Them See You Cry”) initially scream out “generic sad bastard crap” at first glance, but fortunately those titles belie the quality of the tunes themselves. They switch things up between chilled out low-key moments and huge, explosive melodic hooks (like on “Alice and Interiors” and the previously mentioned “Now That You’re Home”), and it’s those kind of dynamics that make this such an engaging listen.

If Manchester Orchestra doesn’t blow up into a household name, it won’t be because they don’t deserve it. To say they’re going to be the next big thing would be silly and presumptuous, but if they ever manage to attain the same kind of mainstream success bands like Death Cab for Cutie and Modest Mouse have been enjoying lately, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise. While there isn’t anything strikingly new or groundbreaking about I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child, it remains an exceptional album from start to finish that sounds immediately familiar without lacking any depth, and that’s certainly nothing to complain about.

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die_die_die (July 17, 2007)

wow, you're so clever. if you were actually a football fan you'd have called them scum or man utd. no one with half a brain uses the full name for that pile of red shit

LOL, looks like someone ate his cranky O's today.

Thus_Spoke_Sean (July 17, 2007)

if manchester orchestra represents the atlanta music scene (yea, they're from atlanta and i've seen em play several times), then i'll burn the city to the ground.

I actually have a vendeta with the entire state of Georgia. Let me know if you need a hand.

Anonymous (July 17, 2007)

"I only came here to say fuck Manchester United...."

wow, you're so clever. if you were actually a football fan you'd have called them scum or man utd. no one with half a brain uses the full name for that pile of red shit

Anonymous (July 16, 2007)

four and a half stars? is that a fucking joke? if manchester orchestra represents the atlanta music scene (yea, they're from atlanta and i've seen em play several times), then i'll burn the city to the ground.

Anonymous (July 16, 2007)

thats a fantastic reason to come here.

die_die_die (July 15, 2007)

I only came here to say fuck Manchester United....

Anonymous (July 15, 2007)

some of the lines in this ("a disaster's a disaster no matter what christian language you drag it through" i think is one) are a little too bible based.

umm did you read that lyric you wrote out? if anything that is anti-christian. just cause bands discuss religion, or you hear the word "jesus" or "christian", it doesn't mean your being preached to. think about it.

mammal_sauce (July 15, 2007)

This albulm is absolutely lovely. This is a hyped band that is worth the hype. "sleeper 1972" is the best song hands down

nocigar (July 14, 2007)

wow. that's all i can really say

"Sleeper 1972" is a really erie song, but its so damn good.

Anonymous (July 14, 2007)

abysmal band name

Anonymous (July 13, 2007)

this band reminds me a lot more of Neutral Milk Hotel than Brand New..

just saying.. you can hear the NMH influence a lot more than BN.. though both are present.

Anonymous (July 13, 2007)

this band can sniff my asshole.

-chris

inagreendase (July 13, 2007)

to this guy, this cd came out way before the devil and god, so probably it would be brand new doing that to a manchester orchestra song

Except if you look in the liner notes of Devil and God, Brand New recorded it March 2005 through April 2006, so "Sowing Season" could've been recorded as far back as that former date. BN and MO are friends, so it's quite likely MO heard the finished "Sowing Season" well before any of us did.

colin (July 13, 2007)

a tad too religious for my taste. while brand new was able to walk a very fine line very successfully with perhaps faithful songs nowhere near being preachy, some of the lines in this ("a disaster's a disaster no matter what christian language you drag it through" i think is one) are a little too bible based.

the music isn't bad but it isn't super memorable. i listened to this for a few weeks and enjoyed it but haven't really picked it up since.

9 is far, far too good a score.

popofeliz (July 13, 2007)

this album is amazing

"even though they really do blatantly bite Devil and God at some points (the intro track 5 or some other song around there sounds exactly like "Sowing Season")."

to this guy, this cd came out way before the devil and god, so probably it would be brand new doing that to a manchester orchestra song

go listen to manchester's ep, is awesome also

Allular (July 13, 2007)

In response to Scott, the only reason I think they're getting the hype is their live show. The album isn't as urgent sounding as their live show but when I saw them open for mewithoutYou, they were the best of the night in my opinion.

Score's for the live show. Album gets an 8.

Anonymous (July 13, 2007)

i really like this album

Thus_Spoke_Sean (July 13, 2007)

there was a time when age actually DID mean that you probably knew more about music. simply because you had more time to go out and buy cd's read the liner notes, see what bands the band you were listening to liked, went to see shows and got introduced to new bands through opening acts. that time has pretty much come and gone (not to say you still can't do those thing, infact a few people have said they DID see MO open up for BN). Thanks to the internet, any 13 yr old can have 60 gigs of music for free with a point and a click. thanks to myspace 'street teams' now have little to do with actually being on the street. someone can just sit around and (you guessed it) point and click.

I'm not saying that the internet is bad (i'm on it right now!) or that street teams are bad (i support a few bands whole heartedly) what im saying is that Yellowcard isn't going to make any new fans on this site. SERIOUSLY.

Anonymous (July 13, 2007)

Glad to see some positive comments about a band, I was beginning to think that people only trash things around this crazy place! :)

For those of you that like this music and wish to purchase this CD, a good back up CD to try would be Yellowcard's, Paper Walls, it's poppy, melodic and one of those CD's you throw on and let your problems fade away and your foot tap away! 07-17-07.

steveman (July 13, 2007)

Saw these guys with Snake The Cross The Crown and was really blown away. Amazing live show. The album is damn good too, but I'm still of the opinion that this shit needs to be seen live. So much more intensity and emotion.

Anonymous (July 13, 2007)

score is for me and how my shit doesn't stink, unlike this garbage.

fattony (July 13, 2007)

I enjoyed them when I saw them live, but this album is fucking boooring.

Anonymous (July 13, 2007)

Saw them with Brand New and they managed to be one of the best live acts I saw this year.

Furthermore, one of the best albums of 06

maverick (July 13, 2007)

Decent. Not worthy of all the hype they're getting.

-Scott

Anonymous (July 13, 2007)

I dont go over there often, but apparently some asshat named Jayson T. at Absolutepunk.net has a contest about posting Yellowcard stuff on this site, so that explains this FUCKING NONSENSE, which I'm sure the person is just smiling about.

feeeding5000 (July 13, 2007)

Fuck you, members of Yellowcard/Yellowcard's street team. You guys suck ass. I mean no disrespect, of course, but, you know, fuck you. Still, at least you put some effort into relating the ad to the review, unlike those damn ads for the "Ramones on the Road" book.

Anonymous (July 13, 2007)

The cover of this new release reminds me of a photo of my grandmother. On the new Yellowcard release, the singer wrote a song loosely based on his grandfatther's relationship with his grandmother. As the singer came from a broken home, he felt it was important to document and praise his own grandfather for being married 58 years. Talking about pulling on your heart strings! What a band. New release "Paper Walls" is hitting the streets soon.

feeeding5000 (July 13, 2007)

I have not heard this, but I am certain I prefer Thank God's "For Pregnant Virgins". Or Angel Hair's "Pregnant with the Senior Class".

inagreendase (July 12, 2007)

Score is for the band's live show.

The album, while not quite as good, is still really impressive, even though they really do blatantly bite Devil and God at some points (the intro track 5 or some other song around there sounds exactly like "Sowing Season").