In Case You Missed It!

I decided to start a new series on my blog. It will be titled "In Case You Missed It" and it will feature me reviewing and discussing an album... the catch is that the album is has to be at least 5 years old. The goal of this series is to hopefully turn you on to an album that maybe you missed the release of and never got around to checking out. Or maybe this is an album that you heard a ton about, but didn't want to buy into the hype and didn't give it a fair chance. Or maybe its an album that you loved when it came out and haven't listened to for a while. Or maybe its an album that you know and love and want to read my thoughts on that album. Whatever, I just hope that you like it and that maybe you'll find/rediscover some good music because of it.

For my first installment of "In Case You Missed It," I (proudly) present Cursive's "Ugly Organ," which was released on May 4th, 2003.

"The Ugly Organ" is basically a half concept album/half auto-biographical master piece. The central lyrical themes include lust, lies, and regret. What better things to write a record about? Tim Kasher writes lyrics that are nothing short of amazing and have a haunting Phantom of the Opera feel to them. You don't want to root for the evil villain, yet you can't help be see some of your self in him. The villain, The Ugly Organist, deals with his mistakes and shortcomings all through the record. But woven within these concept album lyrics are some brutally honest and real lyrics. Its sometimes wonderfully difficult to discern between the two.

Take for example "Some Read Handed Sleight of Hand" where Kasher sings "There's no use to keep a secret/everything I hide ends up in lyrics" or on "Art is Hard" when we hear "If at first you don't succeed/you gotta recreate your misery/'cause we all know art is hard/young artists have gotta starve." He continues on the very sad (and brutally honest?) Sierra where Kasher sings about the absent father's lament of not being there to "tuck her in and say goodnight." The sad the father wails "I'll never know who you are, and I don't deserve to."

Musically this record is really good too. It features fairly quick songs (most songs coming in at less that 3 mintues), but each song has its own hook and catchy riff. Cursive's staple riff is quick, choppy rhythms layered over pounding drum beats. You can't help but move to the music. The intricate cello (and sometimes guitar) licks stand out even more with the deep organ and synth notes sustaining in the background.

Overall, this is a fantastic record and one that you really shouldn't pass up. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this (are you a fan who has listened to this recently, a fan who's forgotten about this, someone who never game them a shot because of the hype, or someone who's never heard of them)? Let me know.