Album Review: Manchester Orchestra- Simple Math (2011)

We know, we know: you're the biggest Manchester Orchestra fan around. You knew about them before Brand New scooped them up to open for them for just about every tour since The Devil and God are Raging Inside of Me came out. You know all about Andy Hull's back story, and how emotionally connected he feels to his songs, and how he's the most under-appreciated man in indie rock right now. We get it, you've been there with the band since I'm like a Virgin Losing a Child. That's great. Now, let the rest of us catch up. For those of you whose listening to Manchester Orchestra has been passed over, compromised, or completely forgotten about, the time is now to get into one today's fastest-rising, most forward-thinking rock acts in the game right now. Make no mistake: Andy Hull Will not be ignored any longer.


Simple Math, the Orchestra's third full-length album, takes full advantage of the notoriety the band have garnered from their previous two (Virgin and the stellar 2009 release Mean Everything to Nothing) and continue to evolve and take full advantage of their creative resources (thanks to major record label Columbia backing the release) and front man Andy Hull's ever-flowing fountain of emotional, sweeping lyrics and melodies, showing the burly bearded man's really just modern rock's biggest teddy bear, and its never more evident on Simple Math: throughout this tour through the mind of Hull, the listener will want to bear hug the man for both going through what he's been through, and having the strength to write and sing about it.

The album begins with a bold address to the fans and listeners of the album, on the cleverly-titled "Deer": "Dear everybody that has paid to see my band," Hull croons "Still confusing? You'll never understand," a telling sign that we still don't know everything. "Deer" is a quiet opener, compared to the next few songs after it, the drudging "Mighty," followed by "Pensacola" and the very Mean Everything-esque "April Fool," which proves to be the song on the album that shows prevalent signs of Manchester Orchestra reaching back to their previous releases for influence. "Mighty" is a track that continually builds to the final stages of the song, where the band take the last minute or so to repeat on of Hull's best lines on Simple Math: "And I will do my best to breathe for you, for you," and while the repetition of the line sounds a bit dull in writing, it is a truly a moment that can only be understood if it is heard. "Pensacola" is a very fast-moving track, through both the manner in which Hull sings and the constant change in tempos the band undertake throughout the three-and-a-half minute song, which sounds almost like four different songs, depending on which part you're listening.

After the bluesy "Pale Black Eye," Simple Math truly begins to soar with the one-two punch of "Virgin" and "Simple Math," undoubtedly the two best tracks on the album. "Virgin" is a dark number, featuring a children's choir slowly bringing the band in, followed by Hull's quiet croon before the instrumentals become louder and hit as hard as any Manchester Orchestra tack ever has. "Simple Math" carries the momentum in its own way, as the title track is the quintessential "quiet" track of the album, that has Hull questioning seemingly every decision he's made over the course of his life, and crosses whichever boundary he chooses: "What if I was wrong, and no one cared to mention?" and "What if we were trying to get where we've always been?" are personal favorites, and the song as a whole shows Hull portraying himself as a man with more questions than answers.

I namedrop him a lot here (for good reason), but there is so much more to Simple Math than Andy Hull's self-exposing lyrics: the instrumentation is the hardest-hitting you'll hear all year, and can hold its own with any album you can come up with. The string arrangements on "Mighty," "Pale Black Eye," and "Simple Math," in addition to the trumpet in "Pensacola" add a bit of flash to the already-proven rock Manchester Orchestra provide on "April Fool" and "Apprehension," while the quiet, simple (no pun intended) "Deer"'s subtlety reintroduces the band to their oldest fans, and segues inquisitive listeners into one of the best rock albums released in the last few years. Simple Math's different take on Manchester Orchestra's already proven formula was certainly a risk, but the risk has certainly reaped a great reward for the band, as Simple Math could go a long way in catapulting Manchester Orchestra even further atop the mountain of alternative rock, and they may not have to worry about playing second-fiddle to a certain Mr. Lacey from a certain band I mentioned earlier in this review (hint: it rhymes with Brand Zoo).

The Bottom Line: No matter what side of the fence you're on with Manchester Orchestra, give Simple Math a few listens, let it really soak into you, and try to tell me this isn't one of the best albums of 2011. I dare you.

Recommended if you rock: Thrice's Vheissu, Norma Jean's Meridional, The Gaslight Anthem's American Slang