LENDERMAN,MJ - MANNING FIREWORKS Price: €14.99 Format: Compact Disc Availability: Immediate Dispatch

MJ Lenderman is a songwriter born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina.

The anatomy of an MJ record might go something like this: warped pedal steels and skuzzed out guitar; crackin a cold one with some buds; a voice reminiscent of the high-lonesome warble of a choirboy. Songs snake their way from a lo-fi home recording to something glossier made with longtime friends at Ashevilles Drop of Sun studios, but the recording setting doesnt seem to matter much - at its core, a Lenderman song rings true.

Manning Fireworks is a remarkable development in MJ Lendermans story as an incredibly incisive singer-songwriter, whose propensity for humour always points to some uneasy, disorienting darkness. The punchlines are still here, as are the rusted-wire guitar solos that have made Lenderman a favourite for indie rock fans looking for an emerging guitar hero. Theres a new sincerity, too, as Lenderman lets listeners clearly see the world through his warped lens.

CD Tracks: Manning Fireworks / Joker Lips / Rudolph / Wristwatch / Shes Leaving You / Rip Torn / You Dont Know The Shape Im In / On My Knees / Bark At The Moon