“The North Carolina singer, songwriter, and guitarist’s fourth album is a collection of caricatures ballooned by empathy, bruised egos, and lovable self-destruction.”
“His contributions earlier this year to Waxahatchee’s excellent Tigers Blood already hinted as much, and with Manning Fireworks, Lenderman has positioned himself as a deservedly beloved figure of modern guitar music.”
“"Birds against a heavy wind that wins in the end," mourns MJ Lenderman in the very first words of his new album Manning Fireworks. The Wednesday guitarist, fisher and deceptively poignant poet's voice wavers through the titular opening track with the frailty of its character's shame and their languor of defeat. The acoustic beginning to Manning Fireworks underscores Lenderman's refined vignettes ”
“MJ Lenderman once again redefines slacker charm on Manning Fireworks”
“The Asheville singer-songwriter’s outstanding fourth album is loaded with zingers and losers. It’s witty and sincere, the mark of a songwriter finding his voice.”
“MJ Lenderman’s spit-and-sawdust alt-Americana album Boat Songs (2022) was acclaimed long before the latest country music renaissance, so expectations are elevated for its follow-up. The North Carolina singer-songwriter’s wry writing style, well suited to thumbnail character studies, still offers dry wit and pop culture references. Yet his fourth solo outing has darkness shadowing it too. Birds fly”
“MJ Lenderman’s voice has a special quality to it which I can’t get enough of. Manning Fireworks is just an album full of great songs, simple as. Fav song : You Don’t Know The Shape I’m In”
“some of the lyrics are giving like millennial burger shop but it’s still good favorite songs- rudolph. she’s leaving you. on my knees.”
