THE ATLANTIC MANOR: All The Best Girls Have Winter Hearts

The Atlantic Manor

All The Best Girls Have Winter Hearts

© 2007 R. Sell

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

Outsider DIY. Funeral Dirges - Shards of Feedback - Traditional Songcraft

tracks

1 Desperation
2 Dead King Richard
3 Church Street
4 Gospel Of Bones
5 Sadder Than You Seem
6 Open Arms

notes

Minimalist dirges and stark fractured songs combined with traditional song craft and shards of feedback have become a trademark. Fans of the off-kilter sect will find a new Champion in THE ATLANTIC MANOR. With each new release, R. Sell continues to carve his own unique niche within the underground community. The Atlantic Manor is keeping the underground alive...one record at a time.

NEW REVIEWS


INDIE MUSIC STOP

THE ATLANTIC MANOR
ALL THE BEST GIRLS HAVE WINTER HEARTS - cd
I will be honest: I had absolutely no idea who The Atlantic Manor was until I heard their newest release, and I will admit that it was quite a musical education.

According to the band, the group is named after one of the worst housing projects in Miami, which "is a very interesting place." They also describe their music as "outsider DIY combined with minimalist dirges, shards of feedback, [and] beautiful melodies."

After listening to All the Best Girls Have Winter Hearts, I certainly have little room for argument.

All the songs are done well and sound great; think Velvet Underground and Neil Young in the indie style. Perhaps the band leaves an original impression on its listeners because they take the non-traditional route of never rehearsing prior to recording, and this CD is no exception. What you hear was recorded in one or two takes, as has been the case with all the band's previous recordings.

All the Best Girls Have Winter Hearts truly showcases the talent that The Atlantic Manor has. It is one of those works that can either be turned up or be turned down for background noise, whatever the listener's mood happens to be at a particular moment.

If you are into "hi-fi" level music, I would not recommend Atlantic Manor. If you are not that particular, however, this release will be quite the listening experience. Just take one listen to tracks such as "Gospel of Bones," "Desperation," and "Open Arms," and you'll get the band's style of music.

I wish more artists--whether indie or mainstream--would let their music speak for itself the way The Atlantic Manor's does. Maybe that is why The Atlantic Manor can get it done in one or two takes--it comes naturally to them, particularly on this album.

Indie rock this good deserves to be shared with others; there are compelling songs here and a great variety of moods. All the Best Girls Have Winter Hearts is well worth experiencing for oneself.
L. Anne Carrington - Indie Music Stop (Mar 27, 2007)
HE ATLANTIC MANOR




SMOTHER

ALL THE BEST GIRLS HAVE WINTER HEARTS - cd
Dear Rick Sell, I would marry you if you I wasn’t already married. Plus it’s probably like illegal in Florida since Dubya’s brother ran the joint. Rick just had a new baby (congratulations, fatherhood is amazing ain’t it?) and that delayed the release of this majestic and beautiful work of art. While it’s only six tracks long, it has all the trappings of a true epic masterpiece. Stirring indie pop is artistically woven with piano, guitar, percussion, and vocals perfectly blended by a strong effort in the recording department by Bob Platt. Beginning with a down-trodden melancholic piece, “Desperation”, you hear Mr. Sell’s heart poured out open and his mind tickled with dreams and careful thoughts. The Atlantic Manor once again delivers a strongly written piece of solid indie pop-rock that has me convinced that I should have clearly heard about this band from some major music publication. Truly incredible folks. And hell Rick, maybe the offer does stand regardless of yours or my situation. - J-Sin


DAGGER

THE ATLANTIC MANOR
ALL THE BEST GIRLS HAVE WINTER HEARTS - cd
Rick Sell, who IS the The Atlantic Manor, has been languishing in obscurity in the Miami, Florida area for many years now. Ok, maybe “languishing” is not a good word…..i mean, he has a life (and for all i know could be hanging out with Miami resident Iggy Pop or at least Dwayne Wade ) . But he’s released enough good records that hardly anyone has heard so he does qualify for some kind of folky oddity. In the past I have likened his material to that of Smog, Jandek or Neil Young and on ALL THE BEST GIRLS…. he keeps up that track record: 6 songs amble along in nearly 29 minutes and all of his usual topics are still examined here. Opener “Desperation” adds Bob Platt’s lovely piano as does “Dead King Richard” and both of those have more of a morose/noble Nick Cave vibe while on the latter Sell sings “Spend my days cast away, alone with what is mine.” Both “Gospel of Bones” and “Sadder Thank You Seem” evoke similar territory. In fact , if I had any beef at all with the record is that the songs all have the same tempo throughout. I don’t mind at all because I like Sell’s songwriting and have been listening to it for quite some time but a few friends have made that comment. Things do speed up a bit on the feedback laden “Open Arms” in which Sell hopes for some kind of redemption, asking a loved one to come to his open arms. Amen brother.


CORD MAGAZINE

THE ATLANTIC MANOR
ALL THE BEST GIRLS HAVE WINTER HEARTS -cd
Just wait a sec, listen and you'll see how damn beautiful this music is. For those into low drones, lo-fi, and maybe a bit of arty twang, this is the one for you. Get lost in a sea of non-conformist, ambient noise and willowy vocals that take you out to the woods or the country or something. You'll be enraptured. And all this is done oh-so-very on R. Sells' own. No labels, fancy recording studios, overpriced twiddly computer programs, government grants... go take a look at his website if you dig this and help keep him in tunes.
- CORD MAGAZINE


SMASHIN TRANSISTOR

THE ATLANTIC MANOR
ALL THE BEST GIRLS HAVE WINTER HEARTS - cd
Lo-Fi and Heartfelt" is the this band's call to arms. Such an adage conjures up different thoughts for different people. Some people might be expecting an Oblivians roar. Other's are probably thinking freak-folk. Neil & Crazy Horse's "Everybody Knows" get's hi-jacked by Radiohead in a very sparce mood but dragging along a special guest, the foggy synth off of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here", for the ride is the impression I am getting in the over 4 minute interlude that the opening track "Desperation" starts with. A somber and southern voice (think Ronnie Van Zandt after a couple bottles of cough syrup learning some Roky Erickson songs...or maybe Green On Red's Dan Stuart in a waking dream) tells tales of depression, wind, rain and bloodstains. When a female voice harmonizes on "Sadder Than You Seem" the clouds lift a little and on the closer "Open Arms" it gives off the impression that maybe everyday isn't so bleak after all in a Galaxie 500 feedback-n-jangle kinda way.
- SMASHIN TRANSISTOR

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