Sound: Dynamic, soaring, dramatic and haunting rock. Jimmy Gnecco and company return with their first album since 2002’s Precious (my #12 album of 2002).
Heavy Rotation track: “Willing”
Medium Rotation tracks: “The Worst Things Beautiful”; “Moth”; “Murder”; “Live Again”
Recommended: On Ours’ 2001 debut Distorted Lullabies, they showed excellent promise but sounded too much like influences Jeff Buckley and Radiohead. Then on 2002’s Precious, they expertly carved out an identity of their own. Now, they’re back to feeling more derivative, retreading territory covered by their aforementioned influences, Muse and themselves. Plus, the songs can lack subtlety and feel overblown and indulgent. All that said, this is powerful music that excites, inspires and helps fill the void left by Jeff Buckley’s passing and Radiohead’s relative abandonment of guitar-based rock.
Grade: B

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