Manchester Orchestra releases third debut album Simple Math

In Simple Math's 10-song, 45 minute composition, Manchester Orchestra show off the most honest and fulfilling album they've put out during their career. Created as a concept album reflecting a family crisis, it's hard to think of another time when front man Andy Hull has made himself so deliberately vulnerable. In 2006, Manchester Orchestra released their debut album Like a Virgin Losing a Child, which quickly became a hit amongst indie-lovers all over America. The band has since developed and evolved throughout the second release, Mean Everything to Nothing (2009), and now they have arrived at a new level with Simple Math, released through Columbia Records,a much needed addition to today's indie music scene.

The theme of the album is isolation and regret, which plays heavily throughout the album, starting at the very first track. "Deer" is a soft-spoken apology to friends, family and fans. It sets the tone for the rest of the album, which is told through the eyes of Hull as he braces himself for an ever-changing reality while questioning everything around him.

After the opening track the record kicks into high gear with "Mighty," by diving into a pool of grunge and dirty southern inspired rock, bringing the listener back to 2009's Mean Everything to Nothing.

The album works so wellbecause the band has managed to take advantage of the bruised intimacy of their work, and they've found a musical palette broad enough to highlight every note. "Pale Black Eye" and "Virgin" are alternately delicate and heavy, while "Deer"represents the softer side of the scale.

The title track "Simple Math" describes a philosophical sensuality when Hull attempts to jump down to a deeper mental level accompanied by an abundance of string sections and a full orchestra.

Manchester Orchestra has proven with this album that they are no longer a shadow of the music that influenced them. Simple Math shows an important artistic growth and development, and is a beneficial addition to an already brilliant discography.