MJ Lenderman creates the Sonic Landscape of a Small Town on “Manning Fireworks”

I’ve begun to lose count of how many “folk revivals” there have been in popular music culture. In the past ten years or so, folk and country music has sort of fallen into a rather platonic structure with bands like Mt. Joy and The Lumineers. Not that this music is bad, but to put it simply, it’s all starting to sound the same. A revival was beckoning. 

Enter the “Yallternative” movement: an underground movement of country inspired alternative rock music. Most notably out of the movement is the folk rock band Wednesday, who released their fifth studio album “Rat Saw God” last year. The record was a beautiful arrangement of country songwriting and twangy vocals behind overdriven shoegaze guitars. Karly Hartzman does most of the songwriting for the band, and was able to combine the storytelling from the country music she heard growing up with an alternative folk rock sound. 

Wednesday guitarist MJ Lenderman is following in the footsteps of his band with his new solo album, “Manning Fireworks.” The only difference is Lenderman decided to lean even more into his folk roots with this album. Especially on the opening title track, where he has the whine of an early country singer like Townes Van Sandt behind a fiddle and acoustic guitar. 

Lenderman’s lyrics are seemingly drenched in the spirit of a kid who’s grown up in the early 21st century, with references to Guitar Hero, Lightning McQueen and passing out in a bowl of Lucky Charms. 

Thematically speaking, it might be tough to pull any meaning out of Lenderman’s eclectic lyrics on a first listen. However, on the third or fourth listen, you can see the picture he’s painting with his downright goofy lyrics. 

Given the musical undertones and heavy southern roots, it feels like Lenderman is attempting to portray the life of a twenty-something-year-old living and growing up in a small, North Carolina town. This may be understating Lenderman’s goals with the record, but the small town experience is one that is frequently neglected by most artists in the music industry. It’s refreshing to see Lenderman tackle this concept with his songwriting. 

This is especially apparent on tracks like “Joker Lips” and “Rip Torn,” where he sings “Hoping for the hours to pass a little faster.” Or the laughable line of “Kahlua shooter, DUI scooter / With a rolling start on the hill.” 

A few of his lines might elicit a chuckle but Lenderman warns his listeners on “Joker Lips:” “Please don’t laugh, only half of what I said was a joke.” So although one might try to pin down his lyrics as random and simple, Lenderman is explicitly stating to his listeners that there is more than meets the eye. Don’t write this record off as a joke. 

Musically, the album is cohesive and self aware. I never found it to be sonically overbearing. Lenderman knows when to quietly strum his guitar or when to do a full blown country-rock solo. And the occasional fiddle and slide guitar really complement Lenderman’s whiny twang well. 

I would also say that the record widens its scope outside of just growing up in a small town in the 21st century. Its themes apply to most people in Gen-Z. Therefore it might not be relatable to people outside of that age range. 

Even if the record is unrelatable, I think one must recognize what he’s doing on this record as a step in the right direction. Lenderman is clearly much more comfortable with his songwriting and has found a distinct voice within the underground folk/country scene. On top of that, it’s incredibly encouraging to see a new voice within the alternative/indie scene; one that feels authentic and like he’s speaking for Gen-Z. I’m incredibly excited to see what he does in the future.