*** THE CASUAL GAMER ***
| Main | Rating: Transcendent |
Ours: Distorted Lullabies
The music of Ours is a very potent mix of melody and mood, and this album display's songwriter Jimmy Gnecco's musical genious. And despite a Rolling Stone claim that this album was critically acclaimed, I have neither heard nor seen much about this album since its release mid 2001. I just think that is such a shame, because this album screams masterpiece.
The music on the album has a very dark, brooding feel to it, but it is not heavy at all. It is a very organic sounding, with melodic hooks and great dynamics. The real meat is in the vocals: Gnecco's singing is fantastic, his tone and range reminiscent of a young Bono. The guitar takes second fiddle to the vocals, but provide a great base for Gnecco's soaring voice.
If you are a fan of mid-tempo melodic rock and great rock vocalists, this is your bag. It just doesn't get much better than this. Just be weary if you are overly sensitive to possibly depressing lyrics or minor keys.
Ours: Precious
Precious is the follow-up to 2001's Distorted Lullabies, a fantastic way to start your professional music career. Needless to say, there is a lot of pressure on an artist to follow a great album with a worthy successor. Well, Ours has delivered, with an album that echoes the quality and strong points of Distorted Lullabies without falling prey to sounding recycled or rehashed. In short, Ours has avoided the much dreaded "sophomore slump," and also established themselves as a creative force to be reckoned with.
Any fan of Ours' previous work will instantly fall in love with Precious. It is another great album, filled with the dark, moody, melodic music. Singer/songwriter Jimmy Gnecco once again displays his amazing vocal range on brooding verses and soaring choruses. The difference on Precious, though, is that there is a much more "full band" sound than was present on Distorted Lullabies. The band also captured a more raw sound; the guitars a little dirtier, and the performances more like the ones you would hear live. In that, Ours has succeeded in making their sound even more organic that it was on Distorted Lullabies, without sacrificing the quality of the songs.
Basically, if you liked (or like me, loved) Ours' debut, you'll latch onto Precious quite readily. Even if you missed out on the first round, you will still be able to enjoy this fantastic sequel. So if you like melodic rock with a dark edge, check it out. If you just like hooks and singable songs, this may also quench your desire. There is a lot to like here, so do try to give it a careful listen. It won't do you any good to just listen to the first 30 seconds of every song and then make a judgement on the album as a whole.