Album Review: Manchester Orchestra - Cope

Where intricately designed melodies and emotive dynamic shifts have previously pushed frontman Andy Hull's charming lyricism to the fore of Manchester Orchestra's thinking man's rock, their fourth record Cope is all about the brutal force of dirty, meaty guitars, and lots of them. Opening lead single Top Notch doesn't mislead – it's soaring and fierce, yet still manages to capture Hull's ability to wrench significant meaning from seemingly ordinary words. Trees does too, showing for a moment the outfit's wonderfully gentle side, though this record is driven by extraordinary ferocity – it's a beast. Listen loud.