Bad Books is the combination of Brooklyn folkster Kevin Devine and Atlanta’s Andy Hull, who also happens to front Manchester Orchestra. The side project came together randomly, and the two forces have since created a competent folk rock album that is sure to find more than a few new fans, no doubt adding to the popularity of both musicians involved in the process.
While some of the songs are fleshed out by Manchester Orchestra, most are just the two songwriters bouncing ideas off of each other on tape. The record does a good job of seaming effortless, and is altogether a lot more sprightly than both of their other respective works. In the end, it amounts to a solid LP of folk, with a little rock thrown in to keep listeners’ ears perked. Think some Bright Eyes mixed with Coconut Records and you’ll have some idea of what they sound like. All in all, I’m sure they have a nice future ahead of them if they stick together, but at least they both have awesome day jobs to fall back on if not…
Here’s a sample:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDrq8d2jpDw&feature=related
Now go folk yourself! (God, I’m corny…)
For more information on Bad Books check out their MySpace and Facebook pages. Get the self-titled album now on iTunes!