Review Summary: This house screams of memories and half-written songs/with the chance of completion depending on love./This disconnected phone, well, it is seldom to speak./Although, when it does its so harsh and complete.
Manchester Orchestra is one of those bands that seem to have a never-ending collection of unknown material. With the critically acclaimed full-length releases “I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child,” and especially “Mean Everything to Nothing” becoming household names in the world of indie rock, the band happens to possess quite a bit more under their belt. To date, Manchester Orchestra has recorded an additional three EP’s, and a tragically unreleased LP entitled “Nobody Sings Anymore.” Considering the prolific nature of the band, it seems hard to believe that Manchester Orchestra has only been around for half a decade, even if a good portion of the material has not reached the public’s ears.
Andy Hull may be the most unlikely candidate for a compelling and passionate front-man. Those of you that have been to a Manchester Orchestra show or seen pictures of the band would concur that Hull does not look as if he is the man singing or writing the songs on the record. Overweight and rocking a thick red beard, this singer/songwriter appears to be more likely to be chopping down trees in the wilderness rather than leading a successful indie rock band. The beautiful thing about music however, is that none of this truly matters. Hull possesses a raw talent in the form of songwriting, and at any given moment has the ability to charm or dismay in such a prosaic variety.
Manchester Orchestra’s unreleased album “Nobody Sings Anymore” is essentially a collection of tracks that were later featured on two of the band’s EPs and “I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child,” as well as other unreleased songs. “Nobody Sings Anymore” includes slightly altered versions of these tracks, including
Golden Ticket from the band’s 2006 release and
Girl With Broken Wings from “5 Stories EP.” These alternative versions seem to have mixed results on both a track-by-track basis and in the overall context of the album.
La-Di-Da is a brilliant example of a track that “Nobody Sings Anymore” seems to showcase the best version of; building to a powerful group vocal-laden climax, rather than sticking to the bare-bones acoustic format. The song in itself is actually one of the better songs Hull has ever written:
“The skies scream, ‘I hate you’, and the clouds bleed of shame. She sits there for hours, playing the same song again. And no one listens.” On the contrary however, is
Girl With Broken Wings, which is subject to a dawdling pace that picks up too little too late in the final minutes.
Musically, “Nobody Sings Anymore” isn’t a far cry from “I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child,” although lacking the consistency and the gems such as
Colly Strings and
Where Have You Been. The record is content in relying on infectious buoyant tracks and simple charming ballads, in which seem to recall much of the band’s recent material. Both
Anything Left and
The Other Side are an absolute blast, almost reminiscing of pop-punk tracks with their accelerated pace and contagious choruses. On the opposition,
Please Don’t Go falls into the category of enchanting ballad, and is truly a wonderful little song. Hull’s vocals and lyrics are virtuoso in complementing the sweet ambience developed by the music;
“Can you hear my voice on the telephone, trying to feel alive again? Finally realized that i didnt need them at all, much less to feel alive again.”
“Nobody Sings Anymore” is just another enduring recording in the band’s young and already sparkling repertoire. To think that the record has never officially released is a travesty, considering the exceptional songwriting and tight composition that it consists of. This album fails to produce an
I Can Feel A Hot One or
I Can Barely Breathe caliber underscore, but for what it’s worth is a captivating album. “Nobody Sings Anymore” plays the role of tone setter for Manchester Orchestra, for from here the band was capable of producing a brilliant debut, and eventually a stupendous sophomore release.
Recommended Tracks:
The Procession
Anything Left
The Other Side
Please Don’t Go
La-Di-Da
