Manchester Orchestra

Time marches on and all of a sudden Weezer is "classic rock" to the kids who were (argh!!!) six when the band's first album dropped. Andy Hull appears to be riding the latest aftershock of emo, which erupted from the quake of Weezer's Pinkerton back in '96. In interviews he name-checks the Rivers wellspring, as well as Conor Oberst and (bizarrely) Neutral Milk Hotel, but the sound of the early 20something's major label debut is more accurately slipped somewhere between Cave In and Saves the Day. The Columbia budget and production by Joe Chiccarelli gives more than adequate (or needed) punch to the low end and double-tracked vocal drama. What salvages the album is hearing the potential bubbling behind the false front. Even on tracks like "I've Got Friends" and "My Friend Marcus" ("My Name is Jonas" anyone?) the little keyboard details and bent guitars undercut the cookie cutting. With a bit of time away from his record collection, Hull might well produce an original bit of rock.