On Manning Fireworks, MJ Lenderman Has Done Something Special: Review

The post On Manning Fireworks, MJ Lenderman Has Done Something Special: Review appeared first on Consequence .

Boat Songs , MJ Lenderman ’s 2022 breakout effort, opens with “Hangover Game,” a two-minute beer-in-hand barn-burner that boasts sports metaphors, wailing country-rock guitars, and an overall rockin’ vibe. Manning Fireworks , Lenderman’s ANTI- Records debut and Boat Songs followup, on the other hand, opens with the title track, a low-key folk ditty that finds the budding songwriter as stripped-down as fans have ever heard him. Ironically, it sounds much more like a hangover than “Hangover Game.”

It’s a bold move for what is effectively the first ‘hotly-anticipated’ release of Lenderman’s career, and one that establishes a specific tone for Manning Fireworks . Having won over an allegiance of dedicated Lendermen with sing-along-worthy songwriting and Crazy Horse-ish live shows (as documented on his excellent 2023 live album And the Wind [Live and Loose!] ), the new collection of tunes presents a more reserved, refined Lenderman. It’s as if the post-party depression has finally knocked on his door.

Get MJ Lenderman Tickets Here

With more eyes than ever resting upon his “funny face,” the Asheville artist comes through with a rootsy invitation into his creative world — and it’s an invitation you best accept, as Manning Fireworks is easily one of the most fully-realized, quotable, and irresistible indie rock releases of 2024.

As established at the top of the tracklist, Manning Fireworks finds Lenderman’s largely guitar-forward compositions supported by surprisingly lush country instrumentation. While lap steel and pedal steel have long been a staple of his sound , fiddles, upright basses, and horns have now officially been invited to the hoedown. “Rip Torn” serves as the most prominent example, being wonderfully led by Landon George’s fiddle melodies, but other cuts that might have otherwise sounded like more traditional indie rock affairs are given a subtle flare of moonshine. Take “You Don’t Know the Shape I’m In,” which grounds its guitar feedback with clarinet and a warm upright bass line, or the pedal steel and cowbell that underline lead single “Rudolph.”

Lenderman’s embrace of his twangiest tendencies comes through on the more straightforward rock tunes as well, like the dynamic “Wristwatch” or the blistering anthem “She’s Leaving You.” Even as they match the volume of the noisier tunes from his past, Lenderman keeps the tempo plotting and deliberate and the lead vocals reined-in. Gone is the punk attitude of songs like “SUV” or the strained snarls of tunes like “Tastes Just Like It Costs.” Instead, Lenderman comes across as weathered and too tired to hide his aching heart.

It’s not an unwelcome development. Angst was never the main ingredient to Lenderman’s secret sauce, and by playing it more well-tempered, the writer gets a chance to highlight his off-kilter storytelling. And as far as the lyrics go, things have never been more Lenderman-esque. Manning Fireworks is full of frank American portraits, references to other media, Catholic guilt, jerks, and a general sense of longing.

To return to the opening eponymous cut, the record begins with the slant rhyme couplet, “Birds against a heavy wind that wins in the end/ One of these days, with shorts full of sand.” It’s a bleak hello, and one that starkly lacks Landerman’s signature humor. The melancholic streak only continues throughout the following eight tracks; he pleads not to be asked how he’s doing as the morning tries to kill him on “Joker Lips,” he’s plagued by nightmares on “On My Knees,” and “She’s Leaving You” is, well, called “She’s Leaving You.”

Which is not to say Manning Fireworks is without its comedic moments or sense of fun, but rather that laughs and grins arrive underpinned by an ever-present pain. It’s a deleted scene of Lighting McQueen from Cars flooring it while blacked out or draining the cum from hotel showers as you wish for the day to hurry up and end already. “Please don’t laugh,” he sings, “Only half of what I said was a joke.”

All of which culminates in the 10-minute closer, “Bark at the Moon.” As if referring to the previous 28 minutes of music, Lenderman sings, “I’ve lost my sense of humor/ I’ve lost my driving range/ I could really use your two cents, babe/ I could really use the change.”

He and the band continue on for three or so minutes, backed by fuzzy guitar and trumpet, as the songwriter howls along to a Guitar Hero version of the Ozzy Osbourne number. The remaining seven minutes morph into an extended drone that develops with organ, harmonics, and plenty of distorted feedback. Maybe the morning eventually killed him, or perhaps the wind has finally beaten the birds. Regardless, it’s an ending that’s as surprising as it is poignant.

As the guitarist for Wednesday, MJ Lenderman had already established himself as an indie rock hero, but with his quickly expanding solo catalog, he’s well on his way to becoming a folk hero for the light-beer-drinking, good-natured, bleeding hearts of the underground. His contributions earlier this year to Waxahatchee’s excellent Tigers Blood already hinted as much, and with Manning Fireworks , Lenderman has positioned himself as a deservedly beloved figure of modern guitar music.

On Manning Fireworks, MJ Lenderman Has Done Something Special: Review
Jonah Krueger