Ours - Mercy (Dancing for the Death of an Imaginary Enemy)

Ya know what?..I'm kinda sick of trying to write reviews how I think they should be, and instead probably many if not all of the stuff going in here is gonna be more of a notes/grammar-less-at-times stream-of-consciousness writing which is more *natural* and 2nd nature to me.

So here's the Ours review/notes..and I suppose I would also say this and possibly many others may change/be modified much like a forum post.

Ours.net
Ours myspace page




1 Mercy
2 The Worst Things Beautiful
3 Ran Away To Tell the World
4 Black
5 Moth
6 Murder
7 God Only Wants You
8 Live Again
9 Saint
10 Lost
11 Get Up

Among the nearly 60 records I've heard this year

(See the list here)
, this is the clear cut top disc in 2008 thus far. It took 6 years to finally be released, but it's proving to be well worth that wait.

Ours - Mercy...Dancing for the Death of an Imaginary Enemy)

Mercy - epic opener, 2nd part of a split track..works well on its own..spacey soaring guitar and vocals...floating..flowing track
live it would often go on much longer but the recorded version includes a little of that features Static's ambient guitar at the end

Worst Things - catchy catchy catchy..think U2 at their most catchy. The chorus never leaves your brain afterwards..such an uplifting song..this song is all about win.I'll admit I turned my back on this 1..shocked me..I love it when that happens and it proves why I love this band so much. Radio should eat it up..pop stations could play it all day. Could be their 1st single.

Murder - 2nd part of the epic..trumpets enhance this guy a lot. Clapping is sorta ritual-like. OLD song going back to the SOUR demo. Repeated pounding chorus..with emphasis. almost like a King's X thing.

Ran Away To tell the World - Moving ballad..great use of cello. "don't spend your whole life waiting for your whole life thinking that't over"
love the rocking bridge guitar solo. Classic ballad.

Black - experimental..includes a preachy almost-rap. Dark..forceful..gothic..kinda like DL in a way..dynamic changes..newer song..great vocal range with falsetto and lower ranges on a dime..ALBUMS THEME LYRICALLY..PERSONAL SONG FOR JIMMY

THE MOTH - GREAT LIVE tune..maybe 1 of 2 tracks that didn't translate as well studio..always loved the ryhthm and dynamics on this 1..the harmonies too..powerful live

GOD ONLY WANTS YOU - short..powerful but I thought it would be bigger..the vocals included. Subdued..LIKE THE ARRENGEMENT WITH THE STRINGS
..cLANCY from blue hippopatmus PLAYS CELLO..great build at the end..even if it feels short compared to the live version

live again - great pounding drum lead..great falsetto and screaming by jimmy. "forgive yourself and then you're gonna heal"..epic feel..not a slow moment in this 1..awesome crescendo
superior arrangements to the live versions

willing - also came out much different and catchy than expected.guitar riff is much thicker than the live versions
..layered

saint - originally titled saint down the hall. supposedly about jeff buckley.written many years ago. the soaring vocals are great.rich melody.

lost - awesome..powerful live song..the mix didn't quite do it justice. the guitars and drums overpower the huge vocal screams that the song is known for in the climax

get up..beautiful dynamics and feeling..amazing live song, but the studio version does give some of the movingh feeling as an album closer. "Man you should have seen her"..spacey guitar like in Mercy at the beginning..it's like waking up from a bad dream...dreamy..reminds me of peter gabriel or imogen heap almost. the orchestrations in the build.."beautiful like rain"..the chanting chorus that sounds like a kids choir works really well.

There was a ton of thought put into so many of these songs in the arrangements and production is almost to the point of perfection..much like DISTORED LULLABIES was.