Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math

Sometimes there are bands that I can't work out why they're not far more popular than they are - Placebo, Lcd Soundsystem, Hot Chip - I'm usually told that they either " look funny", "sound funny" or are just plain depressing.
I'm under no such illusions about the Manchester Orchestra though, I know they look and sound funny, and on occaision they are quite depressing. Happily for us though -and them I imagine- they're also quite brilliant.
Their previous two releases -I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child and Means Everything to Nothing- were good, really good- but never quite reached true greatness, this has.
They're always a heartbeat away from either a bombastic cataclysm or honey sweet crooning, and throughout the highs are tinged with dispair, the lows with hope and all this makes Simple Math an album way, way above most of it's contemporaries.
This will end up in all sorts of year end lists -including mine- and rightfully so. I just hope it brings them a bit more recognition than they've recieved so far.

The Manchester Orchestra looking funny, yesterday.