Manchester Orchestra: Cope

Manchester Orchestra
Cope
(Loma Vista/Republic)
by Jeff Terich
3 out of 5 stars

Bigger isn’t always better. The thing about drama and bombast is that they’re generally best used sparingly; a fireworks display is more likely to capture your attention in relative quiet, and the same goes for explosive arena rock climaxes. That being said Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull is quite good at making these booming, powerful statements. Situated somewhere between the artful emocore of Brand New and the Southern psychedelia of My Morning Jacket, Manchester Orchestra is big music for big venues, possibly to soundtrack big gestures (somewhere there’s a Lloyd Dobbler out there holding up a boombox with Hull’s voice coming through). And on new album Cope, Hull knocks it out of the park more often than not — on the pop-punk chugger “Every Stone,” on the riff-monster “Trees,” and especially on the massive opening track “Top Notch.”

The problem with Cope is that it’s just too much. Even AC/DC eased into a slinky blues from time to time, and Hull would benefit greatly from scaling back just a little bit more. It’s not really until ninth track “Indentions” that Cope allows in any breathing room, and by that point, it’s almost moot. Eight tracks straight of gut-punching, emotive arena rock can be exhausting — especially when it leans so heavily on emo aesthetics. Not that Hull can’t rock with the best of ‘em, but sometimes artistic growth requires acknowledging that more power chords isn’t always the best course of action.