The Ugly Organ

Today my commute CD was the reason why I am going through my loosely alphabeticised CD albums. The reason why I needed to listen to things I may have missed, the reason I needed to give something a second chance.
Today the CD was The Ugly Organ by Cursive. At the very least I may have listened to this once before but I suspect this was the first time I had played this album. It came to my notice as I think at the end of 2003 it was featured highly in the year end lists of people who’s opinion I trusted. I must have lost it in a bulk of other CD’s though as it never made an impression at all.
So to the CD, as I said this CD and other CD’s like it is the reason that I am going through my collection, it is an absolute beauty, a real genuine great album.
Released on Saddle Creek it draws its influence, not massively, but a little from Saddle Creeks most famous son, Conor Oberst. However it’s main influence is Brand New. Sonically it draws heavily on the sound Brand New explored on their first two albums. Vocally Tim Kasher falls between that of Brand New’s Jesse Lacey and Bright Eyes’ Oberts, musically they are more aligned, at least on this album with Brand New than Oberst’s folk leanings.
It’s a stunning album though, and one I am pretty angry for missing, it is 6 years old after all, and 6 years it has been on a shelf of mine ignored. I strongly suggest that if either of the influencing artists float your boat, you seek out The Ugly Organ.
How this does differ from Brand New and Bright Eyes though is this album displays a little more aggression than those two are seemingly capable of. The Ugly Organ is a concept album that explores, Wikipedia tells me, the ugly organists life of love lust and empty sex. At times anger comes through but also despondency. It really does take you on a rather fantastic musical journey.
This all leads to the final track, Staying Alive, you recall my criticisms of the bloated Coheed and Cambrai album? Well the final track is a 10 minute epic, with contributions from a Nebraskan who’s who, after 10 minutes, I wanted another 10, I didn’t want it to end and as the album drew to a close, I wanted more. A brilliant and ridiculously good album. 10 out of 10, easily.



Staying Alive by Cursive

Your Favourite Weapon

Your Favourite Weapon was my CD of choice for my commute this morning, the debut album by Long Island’s Brand New.
An album that is massively different to its successor, so much so that possibly one track, Soco Ameretto Lime is the only track that hints at the route they would take on the subsequent albums.
This was my introduction to the band though and Mixtape from this album appeared on a mixtape that I did for my wife, a later mixtape contained the song Jude Law and a Semester Abroad. We were going through a bit of an emo phase at the time.
This album has more in common with the likes of Taking Back Sunday than it has with the namechecking Morrissey that would form the sound of their more recent albums. Taking Back Sunday, particularly early Taking Back Sunday are always a good influence but I don’t know if it works for me on this album. Time hasn’t been that kind to the album and its clear now with hindsight they can do better.
Also on one hand you have clever well thought out lyrics and on the other you do have the track Mixtape which although it is one of my favourite Brand New songs, its so badly written, it kind of makes you flinch. The Promise Ring do an equally bad job on their similarly themed song Make Me A Mixtape. I see a pattern.
However, this is an alright album and its power pop shapes left me wanting more, I didn’t turn it off to listen to Talk Sport so it must be at least OK. 6 out of 10



Mixtape by Brand New

Deja Entendu

Before I tell you about todays music for pleasure, I must add that my wife also can listen to a song endlessly, and she can exist in her car with one CD for an entire year.
That all said, Brand New's second album, Deja Entendu was the for one day only CD in my car.
Deja Entendu means already heard and it would be quite easy, but ultimately wrong, to say this has all been heard before. As albums go, as leaps between debuts and sophomore releases go, the difference between Deja Entendu and You Favourite Weapon is huge, both excellent, but ver much different.
Where Your Favourite Weapon saw the band shaking off the dirt from their boots after visiting punk town, post rock street, Deja Entendu, although wallowing in self pitying emo-isms, it also tips a nod to the likes of Conor Oberst.
So what of the album? If you think that you know the album, because it is brand new, because it was released in 2003 and rode the crest of the emo wave that was popular at that time, becuase you have some preconcieved notion of what THIS kind of album will sound like, without actually hearing it. I ask you to go find a copy and listen to the entire album.
I absolutely adore this album, it has been many months since I heard it, potentially a year or two, it was the soundtrack to many journeys around the time of its release and I have a lot of happy memories associated with it.
Jesse Laceys songwriting on this album is enough to show him as an immense talent, both lyrically and musically and his turn of phrase and wordplay puts the likes of Bragg and Morrissey to shame. Morrissey is always an influence for Lacey, but not in a painfully adoring way like The Ordinary Boys, Lacey's tribute is understated and he tries to capture the forlorn elements of The Smiths.
Singles off this album, The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows and Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades although their 2 career defining singles, this album holds better tracks within its digital walls, notably, The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot and Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis. Not to say that is all that this album has going for it, it has more. All in all start to finish it is a sublime album, extremely good and one in my opinion they haven't equalled....yet. 10 out of 10.



The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot by Brand New