Manchester Orchestra’s latest album, I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child, is a must have for all fans of indie-rock. Manchester Orchestra is very different from what the name implies. The band, a quintet from Atlanta, Georgia, is composed of members averaging nineteen years old, and it is not an orchestra, nor is it from the north-west region of England! Although the name suggests something else, the album captures Manchester Orchestra’s true sound perfectly.
I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child opens with the track Wolves At Night which begins with powerful drumbeats, sinister funeral organs, impressive vocals, and even more impressive lyrics. These sounds blend together to form a perfect opening track with a catchy chorus. This album provides both amazing music and powerful lyrics, but the most moving song on the album is Where Have You Been? The pounding drums, the harmonious choir, and the deep lyrics all combine flawlessly to capture the listener and push the song forward. The song finally ends with the moving and thought-provoking question for which the song was named.
Another meritorious track on the album is Alice and Interiors. The song’s deconstructed guitar parts add a slight indie pop sound and they merge with the almost talking and barely singing vocals to create a song that would excite any fans of the Philadelphia-based indie rock band mewithoutYou. Finally the album concludes with the song Colly Strings, which wraps up the album with the line You can’t believe without bleeding, which singer Andy Hull says is, “the perfect conclusion” because it “stands really true. It's like you can't understand life without having to fall and fail.”
For fans of Neutral Milk Hotel, and Death Cab for Cutie, Manchester Orchestra is definitely a band to watch. You can checkout Manchester Orchestra at www.themanchesterorchestra.com, and you can subscribe to their hilarious podcasts on iTunes or view them on youtube.