To some, getting a major label contract means they are deserving of an audience, that people will just naturally flock to their music like manna from Heaven. Therefore, they make strange and abstract albums that lack even a dash of accessibility and get confused when no one buys it. Still, that idea of major label backing creeps back into their head, and yet another bad album is created. This is the story of Ours, and the story is perpetuated by their latest album, Precious.
The driving force behind this battlewagon of pretension is Jimmy Gnecco, vocalist/guitarist/songwriter for the group. With every word he sings, there is an air of anger and emotion that becomes rather silly after a while. No one can be in this much anguish and still have the energy to write and record songs. The first few songs, “Kill the Band” and “Realize,” are just a combination of dark and spacey guitar riffs, driving bass and drums and Gnecco’s howling vocals. What he is howling about is never clearly stated, though it probably isn’t about sunshine and puppy dogs. This seems to be the overall motif of most of the songs.
There are some brief reprieves from such menacing overtones. Their first single, “Leaves,” lightens up just enough to not scare small children, but is still dirge-like in its pace and melody. There is also “Places,” which is actually low-key in its delivery. The guitars are more stripped down and enjoyable to listen to; the drums and bass follow behind the guitars rather than lead the melody, and even the vocals are more restrained. Surprisingly, Gnecco has a nice vocal range when he isn’t screaming at the top of his lungs.
Just when things are starting to look up, there are songs like “Broken,” which only serves to break the listener’s spirit. It starts with a two-minute synth solo that easily could have been a Pink Floyd outtake. After that, there is another five or so minutes of Gnecco blaring into the mic about being a broken man, as guitars screech and soar around him. It is truly an exercise of patience in surviving this song.
As much as recording artist says they are in it for the music, it isn’t such a bad thing to occasionally get out of one’s little orb of self-importance and gaze out at the real world. They should know that it’s ok to have an artistic vision that should include playing to more than a few people in the middle of nowhere.
