Bad Books – No Adjustment Necessary
Bad Books – You Wouldn’t Have to Ask
Bad Books – Holding Down The Laughter
Bad Books is the new and worthy side-project collaboration of Kevin Devine and Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra. The idea for the effort came from the thought of filling up time off the road by working together on a few songs. The other members of M.O. filled out the sound for this new band.
As songwriters go, Hull and Devine could not be further apart in terms of creative approach. The methodical wordsmith Devine, an English major from Fordham, is known to pine away for great lengths of time just to accurately pin-point one word within a lyric. Hull echoes that sentiment: “Kevin is very meticulous, where I came in with a few ideas and fleshed them out literally as we were recording. Kevin’s songs were awesome and he was cool enough for me to throw in some ideas to change a part or add a bridge here or there.”
The crystalline distillation that is Bad Books is more pop and probably more accessible and organic than its antecedents. Free from any boundaries or restrictions, Devine and Hull were able to craft a beautiful body of melodies, highlighting arcs of high and low throughout, and utilizing the stark imagery and storytelling for which they have become known.
This is a must try for 2010!
Heroes of Indie Music 