Simple Math

Ever since discovering 2006’s _I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child_, Atlanta based Alt. rockers, Manchester Orchestra’s debut album,they have always been a firm favourite of mine. Combining carefully thought out arrangements of both soft melodic chords and unashamedly gritty guitar riffs, with the ever-resonant vocals of lead singer Andy Hull.

Hull is a singer who seemingly manages to translate every bit of emotion he can muster into the songs he writes, with relative ease and the band’s latest album _Simple Math_ provides fans with further displays of such talents.

_Simple Math_ is without a doubt Manchester Orchestra’s most polished record to date, containing some of the best songs the band has ever produced, conveying both huge leaps in confidence and a real sense of ambition. However, despite having such qualities, they’ve certainly not abandoned the formula that has seen them garner such critical praise and a loyal set of fans. If anything, they’ve simply refined their style, in places replacing their trademark post grunge angst with beautiful moments of softly strummed melodic riffs, complete with the backing of strings.
Stand out tracks from the record, such as album opener ‘Deer’, title track ‘Simple Math’ and ‘Apprehension’ showcase the band’s ability to construct refined and elegant pieces of music, complete with Hull’s sometimes-unsettling lyrics(“I want rip your lips off in my mouth”). Whereas songs such as ‘Virgin’ and the fantastic ‘April Fool’ provide listeners with heavier moments, where the band merges the record’s grittiest riffs with Hull’s piercing vocals to great effect.

The only thing stopping _Simple Math_ from sending Manchester Orchestra to the heights of mainstream success achieved by such peers as The National and the seemingly unstoppable Arcade Fire, however, is consistency.

Although as I’ve already said, the band’s fourth offering features some of their best work, this only serves to further emphasises the obvious filler that has found its way onto _Simple Math_. Tracks where the band seems to lose the purpose and focus is clearly evident in its more powerful numbers.

_Simple Math_ is undoubtedly Manchester Orchestra’s best offering to date, showing signs of real maturity, yet faithfulness to the music the Atlanta group have always produced. However, they are unable to sustain the great heights reached here in places and this alone prevents them from achieving the mainstream success that, given their talent and consistent progression, surely awaits them in the future.