Manchester Orchestra, "Simple Math" (single) 03/01/2011
By Brendan Harte Gilsenan
✭✭✭
As 2009’s Mean Everything To Nothing was a flurry of angst and passion, it is surprising that the title track off of Manchester Orchestra’s upcoming Simple Math is rather boring. It is a slower paced song, but that isn’t the cause of it coming across as underwhelming for a Manchester tune. The problem lies with the fact that as it progresses, “Simple Math” fails to build upon itself.
On Mean Everything, Andy Hull presented songs with tempo changes, time changes, and varying parts. But “Simple Math” comes across as more repetitive than what would be expected based on the songwriter’s past.
The chorus lacks a substantial hook, which is an element that made their breakout effort, Mean Everything, so successful. Most of the song is accompanied by overly dramatic violins, which seem to force a wanted feeling of ‘epicness’; something greatly achieved on the last album with less cheese.
As always, Hull’s vocals are fantastic. The overall feel of the song remains consistent with the direction the band has been going in the past several years, and reserves hope that Simple Math will have offerings that meet the expectations set by Mean Everything To Nothing.
✭✭✭
As 2009’s Mean Everything To Nothing was a flurry of angst and passion, it is surprising that the title track off of Manchester Orchestra’s upcoming Simple Math is rather boring. It is a slower paced song, but that isn’t the cause of it coming across as underwhelming for a Manchester tune. The problem lies with the fact that as it progresses, “Simple Math” fails to build upon itself.
On Mean Everything, Andy Hull presented songs with tempo changes, time changes, and varying parts. But “Simple Math” comes across as more repetitive than what would be expected based on the songwriter’s past.
The chorus lacks a substantial hook, which is an element that made their breakout effort, Mean Everything, so successful. Most of the song is accompanied by overly dramatic violins, which seem to force a wanted feeling of ‘epicness’; something greatly achieved on the last album with less cheese.
As always, Hull’s vocals are fantastic. The overall feel of the song remains consistent with the direction the band has been going in the past several years, and reserves hope that Simple Math will have offerings that meet the expectations set by Mean Everything To Nothing.
