Musical Thesis: Manchester Orchestra “A Black Mile to the Surface”

To listen to the Musical Thesis playlist, please click here.

At the center of every album is a musical thesis. This thesis can be the driving force behind the album, a theme that interweaves songs together, or a feeling you are left with after the last song plays. With some albums, the thesis is easy to find. On others, it is hidden and requires you to be more than a passive listener. These reviews are not about rating an album. Instead, it is about uncovering a musical thesis.

I imply to mitigate the guilt, we could align
A perfectly constructed alibi
To hush the violent guilt that eats and never dies
In actual blame, they call me once the dark divides

I do not mean to disrespect or belittle the music that dominates the charts. I am often too quick to dismiss many of these songs as overly simplistic and afraid of breaking new boundaries. I say this, but I know there is a form of escapism in them. For me, comfort over conflict will always be the aim, but I don’t consider myself the average listener.

Digging through my collection, you might find me hypocritical. You would see that I too am guilty of loving songs that require much of me. But then you would land on a band such as…