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A lot has happened in the 24 months since we named MJ Lenderman the Best New Artist of 2022. At that moment, critics (including us) were rightfully hailing BOAT SONGS as one of the best albums of that year. But the kind of success he’s seen on the back of this year’s MANNING FIREWORKS is essentially unparalleled in modern indie rock—an overnight success to many and a baffling rise to those of us who were there two years ago.
I do think it’s key to note that, unlike many seemingly “overnight” success stories, Lenderman’s ascent was happening organically in the public eye. Wednesday had, by most metrics, the album of the year last year. As a solo artist he signed to ANTI- and immediately dropped two classics, “Rudolph” and “Knockin’.” He was relatably and casually fishing in the RAT BASTARDS OF HAW CREEK documentary. He’s featured on a Song of the Year-candidate duet with Waxahatchee. He played THE TONIGHT SHOW and got a picture with Shaq. SNL’s Sarah Sherman and Dinosaur Jr. emerged as fans—and I’m sure they’re only the tip of the iceberg. And this is to say nothing of MANNING FIREWORKS, which is somehow good enough to justify everything he’s had coming to him. There’s no way to say it without it seeming somewhat trite: MJ Lenderman is now almost inconceivably famous!
Two years ago I think it would have been unfathomable to consider the aforementioned doors that BOAT SONGS would eventually unlock—and I don’t think that’s doing a disservice to Lenderman. But over those two years, the acute playfulness of his lyrics became folded into an online language amongst music fans. It takes time for that kind of shorthand to grow, yes, but time is something that’s accelerated quickly on the internet. His songwriting is memeable, quotable, relatable, and altogether tangibly surreal; you could tweet or post about himbo domes or deleted scenes of Lightning McQueen or the late great character actor Rip Torn, and amongst a growing fandom these anecdotes are met with a loud fervor. It’s the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for major label artists whose viral moments are at least partially cooked up by marketing teams and social media managers in the shadows. But instead people just… want to root for Lenderman. He’s an artist who writes crafty guitar solos and genuine lyrics, and you can send his music to the dad or uncle in your life and that exchange can be a simple “Hell yeah.”
It wasn’t until I’d written most of this essay that I realized that Lenderman is essentially the connective tissue for Merry-Go-Round’s top three albums of the year—his own, MANNING FIREWORKS, rightfully delivers on this idea that he is guitar music’s prodigal son, but he’s taking Wild Pink out on the road next year and is a principal collaborator and musician on Waxahatchee’s TIGER’S BLOOD. In that 2022 Best New Artist of the Year essay, Devon Chodzin summed Lenderman’s projected appeal best: “He’s delivering what the music scene has desperately needed: unvarnished rock, with fuzzy texture gently grazing the never-ending pursuit of happiness, compiled into a collection of 10 off-the-cuff tracks oozing with sincerity. It’s hard not to fall in love.” Those textures and his sincerity continue to translate, and seeing the average music fan connect to that sentiment has been rewarding to watch in 2024.
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