Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 3 / 5 Reviewer: Greg Hutton |
Done correctly, acoustic live albums can be an essential entry in a band’s discography: old hits can be revisited and introduced to new audiences, the tendency to play the hits can serve as an entry-point to a career for the uninitiated, and stripped-down arrangements can reveal new layers of resonance or appreciation for established fans. Manchester Orchestra’s Record Store Day release Live at Park Ave. falls solidly into this third category, capturing a live, two acoustic-guitar performance that will likely be most meaningful to those familiar with the band’s previous releases.
Six of the seven songs on the album were originally released on the band’s most recent album, Mean Everything to Nothing (‘Sleeper 1972’ being the lone song from an earlier album). Opener ‘The Only One’ sets the tone for the rest of the release; a melodic lead guitar line that mirrors Andy Hull’s half-sung, half-whispered ruminations on family and identity (both reoccurring themes throughout). This template is followed closely for the next two tracks until ‘Shake it Out’ distinguishes itself by being more up-tempo and allowing the guitar to stray into more exciting territories than on the songs that are otherwise gently finger picked.
The album’s biggest problem stems from the nagging feeling that the band does not sound like they are having any fun – each song is performed with an unblinking seriousness that leaves no room for anything but solemn reverence. Manchester Orchestra obviously believes in what they are doing, and it’s clear they strive to write mature, meaningful songs. However, there is a slippery slope that separates expression and catharsis from taking oneself too seriously, and it is tempting to associate this album with the latter.
That this album was released on Record Store Day, a day devoted especially to the type of completist music fan that would know Manchester Orchestra’s other output inside and out, again speaks to the notion that the initiated are the intended audience. While fans of the band may very well eat up this release, those not well-acquainted with the source material can take a pass.
