Manchester Orchestra - Let My Pride Be What's Left Behind EP/DVD
Record Label: Favorite Gentlemen/Canvasback
Release Date: October 14th, 2008
Bringing in a gentle and inquisitive guitar and Andy Hull to his faithful and cozy timbre, "I Can Feel a Hot One" does what Manchester Orchestra did on I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child - bring it home. Nostalgic, searching for reasons and/or doubt, and feeling the whole of emotions (love, in this instance), Let My Pride Be begins with a winner.
Second track,"I Was a Lid", is more haunting and pierces after a tense build up. Heavy-lidded percussion punctuates similar to songs like "Wolves at Night" or "Now That You're Home". For these first two tracks, both previously unheard, it's an intimate and confident introduction to new material. Yet, these songs barely touch "Badges and Badges", a newish joint recorded at Andy Hull's Daytrotter session. The song, just Hull and an acoustic, is about "weakness and how it can be magnified during extensive touring" but plays an universal emotionalism with the key open source line I make my badge and wear it too.
The EP is a pre-relish of the Atlanta fivesome's new year full-length Means Everything to Nothing. Also included on the release is an acoustic version of "Wolves at Night" and a live version of "Sleeper 1972" (also acoustic and exceptionally passionate). The DVD portion of the release - What's Left Behind - is more than music videos and throwaway bonus features. A full-fledged documentary by band friend Sam Erickson gives adequate loving to ride-along van shots, humid summer shows and quirky band banter. But the best feature of the documentary, besides the mint cinematography and crystal audio, is the gritty one-on-ones with Hull and his cigarette. In one story, Hull tells of a weeping fan who's mother had passed two weeks before the show, and her heavy kinship to "Sleeper 1972". In another, he talks about writing for I'm Like a Virgin, saying "I was definitely not writing that record from a soapbox, but from a lens." This is real shit, as real as getting a tattoo in the backseat of the van, the hottest show ever, or the interaction between best friends first, bandmates second.
As a release supplement, it's not really a supplement at all. It's got the music videos and live footage too, but for any fan that swallows MO like gospel, this release is a must-buy.
I love the review, and I love this band. They're one of those bands that are so easy to connect to, every lyric and every song holds something. I can't wait to hear the new full length.
Sounds like I need to look into Manchester Orchestra. I opened this morning, and I swear we went through probably about 10 pounds of coffee by the time I left at 11. I don't know who's idea it was to give out a free tall coffee today for voters, but I sure hope (though I doubt) that were serving it today, too. Is it me, or did it seem like they kinda dropped that on us on somewhat short notice?
Although I enjoy the last 3 tracks its kind of unfortunate that it couldn't be all new songs because the first 2 are really solid...Really stoked to hear more new material from these guys.
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