This EP is weighted with melancholy, desperation, and God. Each song throbs and pulses with angels and buzzing guitars. The live tracks are unplugged and restive, but no less tingling with dark and light. ‘Badges and Badges’ feels like a private concert on an autumn porch, ‘I Can Feel A Hot One’ was born a gorgeous hit and I feel the EP is worth it just for this song. It combines the best of beauty, sadness and spirit in a very memorable package. ‘Sleeper 1972’ is a song to lull one into numbness or to rest. Later in the song Andy Hull bellows out his passion, all stirring softness and quiet rebellion. ‘I Was A Lid’ was my second favorite, with rolling guitar thunder and ripping, roaring vocals. The acoustic version of ‘Wolves at Night’ is just a great listen, and it impresses me more and more with each play through.

The DVD is an interesting peek into the band’s life on the road. It’s fun to see what good friends they are, and I was impressed that they move all of their own gear and really put blood, tears and sweat (literally, a lot of sweat!) into their music. They also give their all at each and every live show they play. It includes Many live performances as well as music videos as special features.

There’s not a line in any of these songs that isn’t worth listening to. I rarely bother to look up lyrics to music. Either I can hear them or I can’t, and they tend to get shrugged off if they don’t feel insistent enough to make me need to know. But with tracks as epic as these, tracks obviously loaded with story, tracks sung with such passion…. I had to go looking. Fully understanding the words only made me sink deeper into their meaning. This band’s music is contemplative as well as rocking, a worthy mix of fuel and flame that I know will only make them shine brighter and brighter in years to come.

The limited EP/DVD Let My Pride Be What’s Left Behind is out through independent stores only. See thinkindie.com for a list of places to get your hands on it.

Spring 2009 will see the release of Manchester Orchestra’s sophomore album, Mean Everything To Nothing.

Listen to some of these songs here at their MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/manchesterorchestra