💽 Manning Fireworks by MJ Lenderman

In his new instant classic Manning Fireworks, alt-country rocker MJ Lenderman finds a protagonist in the downtrodden American Everyman. This “once perfect baby is now a jerk,”  he laments at the end of the opening title track, “standing close by the pyre manning fireworks.” In this gently lilting western, we see an initial drawing of a Bible-bugged, lust prone pyrotechnic. While he addresses this figure mostly as a “you,” I suspect it's an archetype he knowingly embodies. 

Lenderman spends the whole record painting in the bleary eyes, smirk and incipient wrinkles from firsthand experience. The nine grungy country numbers grip with tight guitar breaks, sawing strings, and a bit of pedal steel wafted in for wistfulness.  Over this modern honky tonk, featuring members of his band Wednesday,  Lenderman spends just a few verses stringing together syllables in a reedy, dejected voice, sounding like the best of Pavement and Wilco. 

Some say distance grows the heart
But I know sometimes we just drift apart
Everybody's walking in twos leaving Noah's ark
It's a Sunday at the water park

he sighs on the muted “The Shape I’m In.” Many such verses narrow in on the record’s preoccupations with religion, good old fun, and heartbreak. That last one seems to weigh most heavily on Lenderman, as shown on a centerpiece song featuring Karly Hartzman–his Wednesday bandmate, and now romantic ex–singing the title: “She’s Leaving You.” 

The closing track, “Bark at the Moon” finds Lenderman and his lover parting ways before he dozes off to the Ozzy Osbourne classic from guitar hero. It’s a touching summary of the destructive appeal of rock’n’roll, for all its nerdiness and debauchery. The song ends in some 5 plus minutes of ambient guitar, the haunted dream of such an idol worshiper. It’s a neat trick taking the song exactly to the 10 minute mark, but it's just that, a trick, one that feels like a checked box, more than a developed element of this otherwise thoughtful record. Oh well. As Lenderman so tenderly reminds us, nothing is perfect, and there’s plenty to celebrate about that.

One More Thing

Art critic Peter Schjeldahl's collection Hot Cold Heavy Light has been a delightful primer, not only on a canon of contemporary and historical art, but on how to write with punch and passion on the effects of engaging with culture. #criticgoals

Up Next

The days get shorter, and the wind blows cold. My favorite season, Autumn, is upon us! In the coming months, you can find me in a favorite sweater with a cup of pumpkin spice anything or hot cider.