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Rating: Ours is one of those bands that unfortunately remains inexplicably underrated, especially in Europe, despite having an interesting and, why not, even radio-friendly musical proposal.
Their leader Jimmy Gnecco, singer and guitarist, possesses one of the most beautiful voices in the current rock scene, ranging from deep tones to a great command of the falsetto, reaching soaring high notes. It's a voice that can be compared to those of Matthew Bellamy, Thom Yorke, and Jeff Buckley, without, however, emulating them. This is not just an opinion; it's demonstrated by history.
The group was founded in 1990 and debuted with "Sour" in 1994, which went practically unnoticed. After a long hiatus, they released two very good albums ("Distorted Lullabies" in 2001 and "Precious" in 2002). "Distorted Lullabies," in particular, is a truly inspired record, and it was already reviewed (wonderfully…) on DeBaser.
"Mercy," the band's fourth work, was released in 2008 and was produced by none other than Rick Rubin. We can define it as the album of maturity, coming after a long gestation not only due to artistic needs. Gnecco's partner, in fact, took her own life around the time of the previous album's release, which understandably deeply affected our singer.
The music proposed by Ours is guitar-driven rock with dark influences, echoing elements from previous albums but with evidently more refined arrangements and sound. The compositions are all imbued with a melancholic vein, alternating acoustic moments with more electric bursts, all accompanying the "voice" instrument that dominates the entire album. It kicks off with a "pounding" rhythmic line and the ethereal melodies of the compelling title track, a song that clearly indicates the coordinates of the whole work. But all the pieces are very valid: the dark "Murder," also heard in the television series CSI, the angry and melancholic "Live Again" and "Black," the splendid acoustic ballad "Lost," and the liturgical "God Only Wants You." "The Worst Things Beautiful," on the other hand, is the first single extracted from the album and is indeed the most commercial, echoing at times the U2 of the best eras. A mention also goes to "Saint," dedicated to the late Jeff Buckley, whom Gnecco was friends with and shared a passion for guitar and many musical influences.
Ultimately, this is an album that knows how to move and accompanies the listener through multiple states of mind. I particularly recommend it to fans of the artists mentioned in this review.
Tracklist and Videos
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