For nearly a decade, Manners Manners have built a steady repertoire of EPs and singles, and with it a solid following of Mid-Atlantic rock-pop enthusiasts. Now, for the Baltimore project’s first release of 2024, the self-described queer noise-pop trio went big — sharing not only new single “Yr Well” this past Thursday (June 13), but also news that debut album I Held Their Eyes, I Kissed Them All will soon follow come July 26 on 20/20 Records.
Created in collaboration with fellow Baltimore-based talent $100 Girlfriend, “Yr Well” is an endeavor touted as “a band embracing their multiplicity, taking risks, and staking their inimitable place in the world.” Manners Manners assuredly deliver on this lofty promise, hitting every beat with confidence and deftly blending pop hooks with early-aughts rock sensibilities.
Compared to their 2021 single “Deaccession Now,” “Yr Well” shows the band raising the stakes with a fuller version of their synchronicity. Vocalist J Pinder gives a stellar, full-bodied performance, bringing clarity and direction to the closely-woven texture of the instrumentation. The first verse repeats itself halfway through the song, but it doesn’t feel stale when Pinder clarifies, again, that there should “be no confusion”; instead, it underscores the undulating guitar behind them.
The titular well may only flow backwards, but Manners Manners’ cup runneth over with potential, as I Held Their Eyes, I Kissed Them All may well prove later this summer. Until then, dive in to “Yr Well” below.