Drop of Sun Studios

In the short few days since its launch on Sept. 6, MJ Lenderman’s “Manning Fireworks” has taken the world by storm. The North Carolinian’s new album takes a unique dive into multiple subgenres including indie, alternative, and western rock. 

Almost every song on this LP deals with break-ups and romantic hardships, developing a saddening tone on some tracks and a happier tone for the same topic a few songs later. Lenderman finds a way to create interesting songs based on something that happens with people every day, which is pretty incredible in itself because most would think there isn’t enough information to talk about one subject for the entirety of an album. Lenderman takes that stereotype and throws it out the window, letting everything free.

The album starts with “Manning Fireworks,” a track that unloads a boatload of sorrow as Lenderman lightly sings the lyrics on how a character is dealing with intense hardships with his partner. After a masterful show on the fiddle by artist Landon George, the song then flows into, “Joker Lips,” it’s about spiraling with many different emotions and thoughts going through your head at one time. Lenderman sings, “You know I really love my TV, but all I really wanna see is see you near me.”

“Rudolph,” the third track, has been publicly released since 2023, as a single. The song takes the hopeless feel from the first two songs on the album and makes them energetic and hopeful. Lenderman does this because it’s a method to captivate the listener, because of how different song types are. If everything was the same on the first couple of songs, fans might be tiresome.“Rudolph,” claims a spot in my personal top three songs on the album with its catchy ambiance and explosive guitar solo.

This already loud and energetic song then flows into “Wristwatch,” a personal favorite of mine, packs the punch to the highest degree it possibly can, leaving the listener in awe. While captivating them to jam on and continue the album. From Lenderman’s harmonious voice to its spirit-lifting drums, “Wristwatch” is what I would look for if someone asked me for the components of a song that’s rich in every aspect possible.

The latest single “She’s Leaving You” is by far the best song I’ve heard all year. Lenderman released 3 of the 9 songs prior to the album’s release, giving fans a head start to jump on board. Upon release, radio stations had it bumping on the daily, which is how I learned about this tremendous musician. The song feels like something that has been out forever, even if it’s brand new.

 The three-track run from “Rudolph,” “Wristwatch,” to “She’s Leaving You,” is something I still cannot comprehend. It feels like something out of a movie, like surfing on the ocean, or swirling and switching up the song ideas as you go. It’s unpredictable in the way that Lenderman sings lyrics of laughter and joy and then 3 minutes later, bellows out an eerie and haunting track. The haunting sound in this trio of songs stems largely from Lenderman’s voice, one of the most captivating in modern rock. 

“Rip Torn,” the following song on the LP, is rich with harmonic violin sounds, carrying along an eventful lyrical show as Lenderman hits all the right notes. He has such a way of carrying his vocals that makes you feel some sort of way, almost like you are inside of a rom-com while a breakup is happening in front of your eyes. 

The next song, “You Don’t Know The Shape I’m In,” adds an influential sound to the already jam-packed album. Lenderman’s ex-girlfriend and current Wednesday bandmate, Karly Hartzman joins the LP with her haunting, but angelic backup vocals. The song often changes tones from dark and mysterious to energetic and joyous. This track also carries along a warm clarinet, played by Shane McCord. 

After some clarinet playing over a calm beat at the end, the song flows into the song titled, “On My Knees.” This immensely fierce song is as electric as this album gets. Lenderman hits some impressive notes when singing this song, with some of his best vocal sounds from the album being found here. He does these vocals over a guitar riff that gives off the feeling of Lenderman performing to a sold-out crowd with people going crazy over him and the band. Lenderman sounds like a pure Neil Young on this song.

The next track, “Bark at the Moon,” lasts just over 10 minutes, showing a big change compared to the last song. This song in itself is the most artistic  on the album, with a plethora of instruments growing its meaning and overall style for the listener. “Bark at the Moon,” makes you feel like you’re on another planet, with the unpredictability of what’s coming next; The song starts with a nice, little groove, with Lenderman’s perfect vocals on top of it. The vocals end just before the 3-minute mark, the other 7 minutes feel like a journey through a dark, mysterious forest. This period can also be described as a haunting sort of jam: not groovy, but one much scarier and slower-paced. The jam then slows down to the end, showing off how insanely smooth and well-produced the whole album is. 

Since his album’s release, Lenderman has been getting a lot of media attention, making me hopeful for future releases and tours. Lenderman has left me in shock after this LP dropped, and now I urgently want to see him live, taking a deep dive into his older discography and side bands.