Album of the Month: The Organ: Grab That Gun (2006)
'As I was saying / I know that I'm one of the few who got / Away from you'
The Smiths are one of those bands that, as far as indie rock is concerned, it is impossible not to be influenced by. Not only are they pretty much required listening for any self-respecting angsty mis-fit teen, their sound and world view has, for better or for worse, become as much a fixed component of the musical and lyrical vocabulary of every independent band to follow in their wake. Most bands simply do not endeavour to escape from the shadow of Morrissey and co., especially in these days when influences are worn cheerfully on sleeves. But not The Organ. The Organ have obviously listened to The Smiths alot - lead singer Katie Sketch's vocal moans bear an uncanny resemblance to Mozza's unconventional vocal style, and guitarist Deborah Cohen is clearly influenced by Johnny Marr's jangly chords. Yet on the second song on their debut album, 'Steven Smith', Sketch sings about the numerous people unable to escape the band's shadow ('One look at you / And they're suddenly covered in shrapnel too') before attempting to violently take control of her own muse from Morrissey. Has she succeeded? Although they sound sonically similar in many respects, The Organ are taking tentative steps into their own sonic territory. and, of course, their antagonistic relationship with their influences makes for more interesting listening then the standard sincerest-form-of-flattery approach that most bands these days use - one of the things that made The Smiths exciting was their determination to mess with the standard formula, and so it is with The Organ.
The Organ are an all-girl band from Canada, painstakingly assembled by Sketch, who taught the band how to play their instruments. And this album is very much a labour of love, rerecorded as the original version did not meet Sketch's expectations. And, though the album may seem slight at barely 30 minutes worth of music, it was undeniably worth all that hard work.
The Smiths are not the only standard indie-rock reference point that The Organ draw from - there are also traces of The Cure, Joy Division, Pixies and Throwing Muses. But whereas most bands are happy merely to copy these bands' sounds, The Organ seem intent on suffering the same emotional pain as their heroes also. So 'A Sudden Death' and 'No One Has Ever Looked So Dead' are filled with loneliness, sexual confusion and alienation as Morrissey-esque as their titles, whilst 'There Is Nothing I Can Do', whilst not reaching the same level of intensely disturbing catharsis as the Throwing Muses' 'Delicate Cutters', deals with self-harm far more honestly and believably - and less melodramatically - than a thousand screaming emo kids. Thus The Organ have an emotional impact denied many of their peers, though this probably means that they will be too miserable by half for your average thrill-seeking Editors fan.
The band's timbre is noticeable too - the titular Organ - the keyboard, thankyou, played by Jenny Smyth, is a driving force behind many of the songs, and one of the things that gives the band their individual sound. And 'Grab That Gun' is beautifully mixed - one of the many faults of the postpunk revival, a movement that The Organ are NOT a part of, has been to ignore the vital role of the rhythm section, but here the drums and bass are mixed high up, bringing out the music's strong, driving quality.
But, at the end of the day, more then anything else, this album is a collection of strong, catchy, well-written, moving songs. The Organ are one of the few bands of the past ten years whose music I feel I could live in - the songs are songs that will soundtrack the highs and lows, the triumphs will be celebrated by the reservedly upbeat 'Memorize The City', and 'Sinking Hearts' and 'Love Love Love' will provide solace in moments of despair. And the soaring climax of 'Brother' is simply one of the most exciting moments in modern pop, full stop. This album has already done this for me in the month that I have been listening to it, and, as other recent CDs sink to the bottom of the pile, 'Grab That Gun' will remain near the top for a long time to come. Like their heroes/rivals The Smiths, The Organ will reach out and touch people with their music for years to come.
The Smiths are one of those bands that, as far as indie rock is concerned, it is impossible not to be influenced by. Not only are they pretty much required listening for any self-respecting angsty mis-fit teen, their sound and world view has, for better or for worse, become as much a fixed component of the musical and lyrical vocabulary of every independent band to follow in their wake. Most bands simply do not endeavour to escape from the shadow of Morrissey and co., especially in these days when influences are worn cheerfully on sleeves. But not The Organ. The Organ have obviously listened to The Smiths alot - lead singer Katie Sketch's vocal moans bear an uncanny resemblance to Mozza's unconventional vocal style, and guitarist Deborah Cohen is clearly influenced by Johnny Marr's jangly chords. Yet on the second song on their debut album, 'Steven Smith', Sketch sings about the numerous people unable to escape the band's shadow ('One look at you / And they're suddenly covered in shrapnel too') before attempting to violently take control of her own muse from Morrissey. Has she succeeded? Although they sound sonically similar in many respects, The Organ are taking tentative steps into their own sonic territory. and, of course, their antagonistic relationship with their influences makes for more interesting listening then the standard sincerest-form-of-flattery approach that most bands these days use - one of the things that made The Smiths exciting was their determination to mess with the standard formula, and so it is with The Organ.
The Organ are an all-girl band from Canada, painstakingly assembled by Sketch, who taught the band how to play their instruments. And this album is very much a labour of love, rerecorded as the original version did not meet Sketch's expectations. And, though the album may seem slight at barely 30 minutes worth of music, it was undeniably worth all that hard work.
The Smiths are not the only standard indie-rock reference point that The Organ draw from - there are also traces of The Cure, Joy Division, Pixies and Throwing Muses. But whereas most bands are happy merely to copy these bands' sounds, The Organ seem intent on suffering the same emotional pain as their heroes also. So 'A Sudden Death' and 'No One Has Ever Looked So Dead' are filled with loneliness, sexual confusion and alienation as Morrissey-esque as their titles, whilst 'There Is Nothing I Can Do', whilst not reaching the same level of intensely disturbing catharsis as the Throwing Muses' 'Delicate Cutters', deals with self-harm far more honestly and believably - and less melodramatically - than a thousand screaming emo kids. Thus The Organ have an emotional impact denied many of their peers, though this probably means that they will be too miserable by half for your average thrill-seeking Editors fan.
The band's timbre is noticeable too - the titular Organ - the keyboard, thankyou, played by Jenny Smyth, is a driving force behind many of the songs, and one of the things that gives the band their individual sound. And 'Grab That Gun' is beautifully mixed - one of the many faults of the postpunk revival, a movement that The Organ are NOT a part of, has been to ignore the vital role of the rhythm section, but here the drums and bass are mixed high up, bringing out the music's strong, driving quality.
But, at the end of the day, more then anything else, this album is a collection of strong, catchy, well-written, moving songs. The Organ are one of the few bands of the past ten years whose music I feel I could live in - the songs are songs that will soundtrack the highs and lows, the triumphs will be celebrated by the reservedly upbeat 'Memorize The City', and 'Sinking Hearts' and 'Love Love Love' will provide solace in moments of despair. And the soaring climax of 'Brother' is simply one of the most exciting moments in modern pop, full stop. This album has already done this for me in the month that I have been listening to it, and, as other recent CDs sink to the bottom of the pile, 'Grab That Gun' will remain near the top for a long time to come. Like their heroes/rivals The Smiths, The Organ will reach out and touch people with their music for years to come.
posted by Jonathan Thornton at 4:35 pm
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