Bad Books - Bad Books
 

Bad Books - Bad Books
Record Label: Razor and Tie/Favorite Gentlemen Recordings
Release Date: October 19, 2010

Staring down the end of an empty bottle of whiskey is never without a story. There's usually one of two polar opposite reasons. On one end, there was a party previous to the emptying of the glass, but on the other end, there may have been reason to drown sorrow (read, but not advocated). Much of the music that empties out of the heads of both Kevin Devine and Andy Hull ride that polar feeling. For some, there is much hope in the choruses of both songwriters, but not without some personal anguish felt from the lyrical delivery of either musician.

When the two get together, we are to expect much of the same as they are backed by the rest of the musical talent of Manchester Orchestra. While many will see similarities in the two entities' combining force on Bad Books' self-titled debut, most of the album sounds like a new band and less of a collaborative side project. Sure, begin to pick out Devine's song writing voice on "The Easy Mark & The Old Maid" or "You're A Mirror I Cannot Avoid," as they sound like perfect b-sides from last year's Brother's Blood. But the same can be said about Hull's "I Begged You Everything" and the intimate album closing "Texas," sounding like they were picked from the songwriter's side trilogy of Right Away, Great Captain!. That shouldn't take away from any of the songs' passionate deliveries.

Upon hearing the rural, bright opening "How This All Ends" and the upbeat "You Wouldn't Have to Ask," the two songs sound like the two friends not only pushed each other in being creative and fueled by each others' individual songwriting, but also striving to create a separate identity from their respective projects and become a completely new identity all together. The detuned drive of "Holding Down the Laughter" and acoustic garage-tinged ditty of "Baby Shoes" are some of the best examples of making a new face recognizable at heart, but also fresh to the expectancies of the ears.

There's a lot of expectation going into Bad Books that will be hard to shake. Just shake it. Pop in the record and take another journey with familiar musicians you won't be disappointed in. Some roads will seem familiar and others will be a nice change. In short, Bad Books' debut is worthy of a cracked beer and great stories told amongst friends.

Track Listing

1. How This All Ends*
2. The Easy Mark & The Old Maid
3. Baby Shoes*
4. You're A Mirror I Cannot Avoid
5. Holding Down the Laughter*
6. You Wouldn't Have to Ask*
7. I Begged You Everything
8. Please Move
9. Mesa, AZ
10. Texas*

*key tracks

Recommended If You Like

Kevin Devine's Brother's Blood; Right Away, Great Captain!'s The Eventually Home; Elvis Perkins' Ash Wednesday; New Amsterdams' Worse For the Wear

whole thing is streaming on the myspace. Eargasm.

Should be interesting. Loved Mean Everything to Nothing but I've never been a Devine fan.

This album is friggin' terrific. Hot damn, they whipped it with a belt.

Not a big fan of this :shrug:

Wow, how did I even miss that this was coming out? Looks like I'll be checking this out promptly.

I'm on same boat, I have really given Devine a try, even saw him live, but just can't get into him, i enjoy Andy Hull's solo stuff a lot more than Kevin Devine. Anyway well written review, especially like the opening paragraph will need to check this album out but not too keen on the stuff I have heard.

amazonmp3 deal of the day today only - $2.99

http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Books/dp/B004671Z6G/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=128 7409579&sr=301-1

There's a lot of expectation going into Bad Books that will be hard to shake. Just shake it.

Yes, please.

And please be nice. The whole Bad Books band of brothers are the nicest musicians I know of - they are so good to their fans, let's be good to them.

That said, I can't get over how excellent this album is - amazing production and I love the little surprises in the middle of "Holding Down The Laughter" and "You Wouldn't Have to Ask" where the vocals jump up all the sudden.

Will have to look into this.

Loving this album

I really felt misled by having heard 'wouldn't have to ask' and 'please move' because both those songs sound nothing like the rest of the album. I love these guys, and i'm sure they're nice as posted above, but i just really am not feelin this album right now.

Great review, can't wait to listen.

liking what I'm hearing so far

does anyone else think Texas sounds like Connor Oberst?

im digging it.

Kevin Devine does not wrong. Andy Hull does no wrong. Bad Books does no wrong.

So excited to finally hear this later today....

I had hoped for a longer or more analytical review, but I suppose this is the sort of record that's just that straightforward. Or maybe not. I don't know. Like I said, I can't wait to hear it.

I need to hear this.

Great review. After a couple listens, I like this album. But I'd still like to spend more time with it. I really like the songs Kevin Devine sings lead on, even though I've never really gotten into his stuff. Maybe I will now.

Listened to this album last night and really enjoyed it.

Good review

Just bought it. Three bucks, why the fuck not?

I meant more like, it's fine if you do or don't like the album, there's a difference in saying your preferences and just being mean. Which I haven't seen so much on here but definitely on Kevin's facebook page, if it's not your forte, just don't make horrible comments.

Anyway, I get what you're saying, from the two songs released it might've made it seem like there'd be duets on the whole album.

Perhaps my most anticipated album of the year? Individually KD and MO dominated my speakers in 2008 and 2009, I'm excited to give this a proper listen and see if together they live up to my lofty expectations

Thought so too

spend the $3, its so worth it

I will say this record is a bit disorienting, being so familiar with both bands individually. It is hard to shake that in certain spots (namely Kevin's songs). I keep thinking a song is going to go in one direction and then it doesn't. I am glad though that it isn't like Mean Everything to Nothing with Kevin singing, which I had in mind for some reason. It would be easy to be predictable and they didn't do that. I feel like you can hear their mutual appreciation for Nirvana and Neutral Milk Hotel on some tracks. I felt that about Mean Everything to Nothing, but in a different way, so it's still interesting to hear.

Aside from all that, my top 2 for both Kevin and Andy are The Easy Mark & The Old Maid, Mesa, AZ, Baby Shoes and Please Move. I need to dedicate some time for a few more listens though.


I have to say I really respect this. Most people wouldn't spend the time and energy, as well as money, to check out and artist live and base their decisions on that.

This.

Fantastic Album
Love It

I'm really glad I only spent $3 on this, but I'm hoping it will grow on me.

I was so excited for this album and finally got to hear it for the first time this morning. Sadly, it basically put me back to sleep. Nothing special at all and pretty disappointing when compared to any Kevin Devine or MO album. But I only listened to it once, so I will give it a couple more tries.

Just downloaded my presale copy and Im really liking it

That's the only you can really judge an artist, disliked Frightened Rabbit and went to see them live and after an incredible performance it all fell into place and I started to appreciate them, it helped that I live 20 mins from London where there is always a decent gig on.

I absolutely love it. The combination of such great musicians together is ridiculous.

Yeah I've seen KevDev live as well and still he didn't really do anything for me. He was also the lowlight of my night, 'cos people in the crowd kept chanting "Holland 1945" (the others probably didn't know what was going on) and he kept interacting with them but never played it.

It's so good. Love 'How This All Ends.'

I am listening for the first time right now. It's really good and I normally am not huge on Kev Dev.

I'd say overall Kevin Devine's songs are a lot better then Andy's save for Baby Shoes and Please Move.

This album is absolutely incredible. Like others have said, I love how some songs are totally new from what we've heard from them before, and there's also the characteristics that why I love both these projects. It's definitely an awesome album and I can't put it down

a lot more mellow than i was expecting. need to give it more spins to figure out how i feel about A. Hull's parts- kev dev's songs just sound like his usual awesome songs.

My thoughts exactly. I've found all of his releases to be rather boring, but this record is great.

"I Begged You Everything" is my favorite track as of now. I know this album is going to just get better each time I hear it,

same. i love everything manchester has put out but i just cannot, for the life of me, get into kevin devine's music.

i mean, i think its good and he's a sincere artist and all. . .his music just doesn't click with me for some reason and i don't know why

All of Kevin's tracks are awesome. Album is great.

I wish they kept it this simple on the album.

I actually thought the album version of Mesa was the most faithful to the acoustic version.


I could be very wrong, but that seems to be a pet peeve of his. I've seen him a bunch and he's never really played something because someone yelled it. It kinda bugs me when anyone yells for a song, with any artist. It's distracting and It doesn't often work.

Yeah, I wouldn't like taking requests when I was playing either, but he really led everyone on and got us thinking he was gonna play it (which would have been awesome).
As such it was a letdown.
I just can't get into him at all.

Yup.

AMAZING album

Album takes a while to get used to and then you love it.

I'm on my 4th play through and enjoying it more and more.