August 31, 2007 - When an album balances explosive rockers that conjure up images of The Format with a giant set of balls and pensive brooding rock in the vein of Brand New, it is an worth noting. When that same album is a stellar debut recorded by a band with an average age of 19, it is mind-blowing. Such is the case with Atlanta's quintet The Manchester Orchestra's first offering.

Musically, The Manchester Orchestra is a bit schizophrenic, which would be annoying if it were not all so damn good. At times, they aim for the more pop side of the rock spectrum, with songs like sunny harmonized "The Neighborhood Is Bleeding". The song is a well-written ode to teen-angst following a break-up, with front man and songwriter Andy Hull admitting, "Well I can be lonely if she's happy, after all". A steadily crashing beat, gothic organ, and short, rumbling riffs turn album-opener "Wolves At Night" into a tense chest-pounding rocker. Hull's candied tenor drive lines like, "I've got to make my bed if I'm going to lay with you / Cause a disaster's a disaster, no matter what Christian language you drag it through", through the stormy, frenetic rock explosion. The song eventually drifts back into a feel-good guitar-driven power-pop bridge, carrying listeners to the melodic finish.

The band begins burrowing into darker, more introspective territory with eerily sparse acoustic ballad "I Can Feel Your Pain". Hull empathies with a sick friend on the quiet track with, "I was scared to call your mother / For news that you weren't getting better". Songs like lush rock ballad "Where Have You Been", where a distant hallowed beat and Hull's fiery vocals meet sparse jingling bells and riffs, continues the spiral into a more bleak sound that the band handles equally well. They eventually marry their two sonic personalities on "Golden Ticket", ebbing and flowing between clanging riffs and open-spaces for Hull's lyrics to shine.

The band is a bit sloppy and somewhat unimaginative, though effective, throughout the album, musically. Ragged tug-of-war riffs storming across the speakers dissipate into a near silence on "Now That You're Home", where Hull's manic hook seems to hint at spirituality, "Now that you're home won't you rescue me / I've been trying so hard to be good". The band is lyrically well ahead of their instrumental prowess at this point, but the dripping bass line and swirling guitars on "Alice And Interiors" provide hope that the music will soon catch up with songwriting.

I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child is a shockingly mature, accomplished debut from a young band with all the promise in the world. The solid balance between fiery chest-thumping anthems and intimate rock ballads and impressive songwriting of Hull make this one of 2007's best debuts.

Definitely Download:
1. "Wolves At Night"
2. "The Neighborhood Is Bleeding"
3. "I Can Feel Your Pain"
4. "Now That You're Home"
5. "Alice And Interiors"
6. "Colly Strings"