Manchester Social Club, The / Soapbox Standards
Album: Soapbox Standards   Collection:General
Artist:Manchester Social Club, The   Added:Dec 2013
Label:Self-Release  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2013-12-12 Pull Date: 2014-02-21
Week Ending: Feb 23 Jan 19 Jan 12
Airplays: 1 1 1

Recent Airplay
1. Feb 17, 2014: Meow
Remember, Remember
3. Jan 08, 2014: Sunflower Sutra
Remember, Remember
2. Jan 14, 2014: Setting Fire to the Lab
Remember, Remember

Album Review
DJ LA
Reviewed 2013-12-11
The Manchester Social Club—Soapbox Standards

Review by Luis A. Apolaya

This Santa Barbara band led by Nate Beck—a prolific musician who has toured with the likes of the Dropkick Murphys and Badfinger—presents an enjoyable mix of anthemic punk rockers and other not-so-punky tracks in their debut album. Some of the tracks approach pop territory, which does not work to the band’s disadvantage, and Beck includes interesting lyrics throughout. Vocals are not as loud and energetic as they tend to be in punk albums, but nonetheless a good listen. RIYL: Social Distortion, NOFX, Bad Religion. FCC warning on track 2

1. **(4:19) Starts with drum roll, follows with an energetic punk cadence, rockin’ guitars, reference to Guy Fawkes, relentless drumming, great way to start an album.
2. *(3:21) FCC bitch (?) and fuck. Punky rhythm, great guitars, anthemic, catchy chorus
3. **(4:05) Acoustic guitar throughout, melancholy yet confident mood, subdued percussion joins shortly after, song deals with narrator reassuring his companion that everything will be alright
4. (4:13) More anthemic punk, great instrumental intro, lyrics about the corrupted state of the world
5. **(3:00) Pretty good rocker, fun and vivid, very catchy cadence, it’s easy to nod your head to this one
6. (4:47) The closest the band reaches a pop sound on this album, soft fingerpicking electric guitar intro, could pass for a post-American Idiot Green Day song.
7. *(3:59) Folky mood, laid back tempo, subdued electric guitar in background
8. (4:21) Jumpy tempo, four chord progression, piano in the middle, not all that memorable
9. (3:16) Another punk anthem, the guy can rock his guitar, call to stand together against the powers of the world
10. *(4:21) Guitar riffs reminiscent of early 2000s garage-rock revival a la Strokes, upbeat, ends with a short acoustic version of the chorus, satisfying conclusion to album

Track Listing
1. Remember, Remember   6. Departures In Technicolor
2. Rude Boy   7. Sidewalk Prophets
3. Bar Tops   8. Memories And Scars
4. One By One   9. We Won't Go Down
5. Move On Out   10. The C List