fans by announcing plans to release a fifth album called Hope, featuring stripped down versions of the songs on their fourth album. However Hope isn’t simply Cope played with acoustic guitars, but rather a “re-imagining” of the entire album. The Atlanta based indie rock band rearranged each of their roaring anthems into haunting ballads, which adds to new depth to each song without ever taking away from the power of the original.

 

Right off the bat, the howling vocals and pulsing guitar in the opening song on Cope, titled “Top Notch,” are traded in for a much slower and somber sound. Later, the booming chorus of  “Indentions” becomes simple, soft, and overwhelmingly poignant. The title song on Cope is easily the most full-bodied and hard-hitting song on the album, but even it doesn’t lose its initial impact after being stripped down, which is largely thanks to the raw power of Andy Hull’s vocals.

 

Hope truly showcases just how talented this group is, not just because they were able to soften the hard rock sound they are known for, but that they were able to give each song a completely new feeling while still sounding distinctly like Manchester Orchestra. They didn’t change who they are as a band to create this album, they simply added extra layers to the unique sound they have already established. Fans interested in seeing Manchester Orchestra perform an entire acoustic set live can see them on the 13-date Hope tour, which starts on Oct. 31 in Memphis, TN.