Other Lives - Tamer Animals

  by Carl Bookstein

published: 10 / 9 / 2011

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Layers of rich textured sound emanate from and seem to reflect the vast landscape of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl plains. This is 'Tamer Animals', the latest album from the band Other Lives. Other Lives features singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist band leader Jesse Tabish from Stillwater, Oklahoma. 'Tamer Animals' was recorded over a sixteen month period in the band’s own studio Other Lives are fresh off live dates opening for the National and the Decemberists. 'Dark Horse' starts off the album in intriguing fashion. Jesse Tabish is a true composer in the classical sense, interweaving varied and pulsating orchestrations. Tabish’s easy vocals compliment the novel instrumental compositions and waves of sound. 'For 12', the first single, is a lovely tune with a compelling beat- stark yet expansive, somehow mirroring the Oklahoma landscape. The title track 'Tamer Animals' is one of the album’s finest moments, and flows well into 'Dust Bowl III' which is moody, spare and evocative. The later song builds in momentum as the lyrics fascinate: “Is there any way to get this weight off my skin?” 'Weather' is mellifluous, yet haunting with its lyric “The sun is getting closer to the world.” Tabish’s compositions are uniformly rewarding with complex structured melodies. On 'Desert' the narrator faces a future that is somehow apocalyptic, yet with acceptance: “Desert reclaims the land… The sun will freeze… The rise of the sea does not concern me.” 'Landforms' is a pastiche of sound and poetry, describing the oceans and the plains, subtly capturing America from the perspective of Oklahoma and the Midwest. 'Heading East' is the stirring instrumental closer, a beautiful ending to an album that is at once melodic and thoughtful.

Track Listing:-

1 Dark Horse
2 As I Lay My Head Down
3 For 12
4 Tamer Animals
5 Dust Bowl III
6 Weather
7 Old Statues
8 Woodwind
9 Desert
10 Landforms
11 Heading East

Label Links:-

https://twitter.com/piasrecordings
https://www.facebook.com/playitweb
http://www.playitagainsam.net/
https://www.youtube.com/user/playitweb

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