June 20th, 2015 - Using An O.G. To "Cope" With It All

 

 

Good afternoon!  The Meista here with a requested pairing today from friend of the page, Bill!  This is Manchester Orchestra's "Cope" and an O.G. Wheat India Pale Ale from 10 Barrel Brewing Company!  Cheers Bill... thanks for the request!!
 
Album Info:

• Artist: Manchester Orchestra
• Title: "Cope"
• Recorded: June 2012 through March 2013 recorded entirely in the band's recently completed home studio
• Release date: April 1st, 2014 (4th studio album by Manchester Orchestra)
• Record company: Loma Vista Recordings, Favorite Gentlemen
• Production: Dan Hannon and Manchester Orchestra
• Personnel: Chris Freeman (keyboards, additional percussion, and backing vocals), Andy Hull (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and piano), Robert McDowell (lead guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Andy Prince (bass), and Tim  Very (drums and percussion)
• Musical style: Indie rock/pop, post punk
• Sound: As the band described the album, it is "unrelenting and unapologetically heavy 38 minutes of rock."   Lead singer Hull described the tone of the album as follows: "We wanted to make the kind of album that's missing at this time in rock: something that's just brutal and pounding you over the head every track."  There sound and approach reminds me a lot of Built To Spill with elements of The Pixies and Dinosaur Jr., and hints of mid-70s Fleetwood Mac. 
• Major themes: The pain and confusion of adulthood, getting past grudges, loss of love and divorce, war, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Top Notch"
2. "Choose You"
3. "Girl Harbor"
4. "The Mansion"
5. "The Ocean"
6. "Every Stone"
7. "All I Really Wanted"
8. "Trees"
9. "Indentions"
10. "See It Again"
11. "Cope"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: 10 Barrel Brewing Company
• Website: http://www.10barrel.com/
• Brew: O.G. Wheat India Pale Ale
• Style: American Wheat IPA
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.5%
• Pour: Murky, unfiltered honey amber with a thick and frothy 2-finger head with great retention and sustained lacing.
• Nose: Bready with lots of tropical fruit, citrus, pine, and minerals.  There are notes of wheat bread, crackery biscuit, melon, mango, grapefruit, pine, and lemon. 
• Taste: Like the nose, the flavor is characterized by lots of fruity flavors, bready malts, and minerals.  There are notes of pink grapefruit, blood orange, lemon zest, Smarties, mango, wheat crackers, and hints of caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is both creamy and refreshing with a clean, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing:  Like the O.G. Wheat India Pale Ale from 10 Barrel Brewing Company, Manchester Orchestra's "Cope" is straight-ahead rockin' goodness!  They are both accessible,  tasty, and go down easy without being simple. 

Cheers!!