by Kris Handel
Late 2021 and early 2022 was a big time period for MJ Lenderman and the ascent of his explosive musical career as the break-through of Wednesday's Twin Plagues and his own Boat Songs releases sparked a well founded new interest. Manning Fireworks is Lenderman's fourth solo record, one that finds him delving into the folkier territories of his masterful oeuvre. He pulls back a little on the sonic explosions of Wednesday and his previous solo releases to hone in on honest expressions of devotion while maintaining his wit and guile. Lenderman continues to establish himself as a songwriter that has a knack for maintaining a striking intensity while refusing to abandon his humor and willingness to stake his claim as one of a number of impressive and unique voices of his generation.
The title track kicks off the record in a fairly understated Flying Burrito Brothers meets Gene Clark fashion as he is accompanied by the whistling fiddle-work of Landon George and a leisurely guitar pattern and loping rhythm section. Lenderman ties romantic lust in with biblical references as his vocals are accentuated by his Wednesday band-mate Karly Hartzmann, highlighting a tender and gorgeous connection with a winking nature. "Wristwatch" is a lazy country-inflected jaunt propelled by the lap steel of Xandy Chalmis and the natural vocal connection with Hartzmann that truly shines. Lenderman's emotive vocals quiver and charge as guitar solos fire away recalling the ragged abandon of Crazy Horse with a greater sense of melody and use of space.
Propelled by Lenderman's drawl, "Joker Lips" is a swaying bit of southern rock that has an immediate spine-tingling warmth. The band show off their folksy charm with effortless ease as guitar lines slice through the proceedings with immaculate skill and timing. "You Don't Know the Shape I'm In" is one of the more vulnerable tracks on the record with Lenderman's vocals carrying an ache of regret and loneliness as clarinets "sing a lonesome duckwalk" enhancing the mood. The level of self-reflection carried within the song is striking and heartbreaking, a great example of the skills he’s continued to develop, showing off the engaging connection he elicits from the listeners.
Manning Fireworks highlights the growing talent of Lenderman as a musician and songwriter in a manner that is loose, welcoming, and so easy to embrace with open arms. Though there may not be any song that are as immediate as the tracks on Boat Songs, the growth in craft in such a short amount of time is jaw dropping and endlessly commendable. This record is full of joyous comfort, homeyness, and youthful inhibition that is handled with a healthy dose of acceptance of the lessons learned while growing up. Lenderman has once again delivered an album that should continue his ascent in the music world and one that has taken a large step in development and deserves all the praise it should muster.