WE/OURS: PRETTY OUT THERE

Music | January 24th, 2016

By Ben Rheault

Coming from Minneapolis and consisting of three lads from Fargo and one from Grand Rapids, Minn., is a debut album from the collective We/Ours. Will Simon, Bill Rohla and Justin Nelles are no strangers to the Fargo music scene, having played in such notable acts as Cut and Run, Gumbi, and F*ck Detector to name a few. The lone Minnesotan, Justin “Jub” Houser still does stints with Apocalypse Meow and, occasionally, Sundowners. The merging of these four personalities and their unique musical backgrounds to create a new aesthetic is truly something to listen to.

Their album “Pretty Out There” is a conscious departure from the rough, aggressive sounds of the boys’ hardcore punk days. Though the attitude of punk still fuels much of the subject matter lyrically, the sound is more melodic and introspective.

“We all came from punk and hardcore bands,” Simon says. “With this project we wanted to channel some of our influences that weren't necessarily of those genres.” Indeed, there are strong elements of post-punk, shoegaze, math rock and singer-songwriter material.

This is an autumnal collection of songs, with plenty of chiming guitars backed by crisp, precise drumming and galloping bass lines. The band experiments a lot with different time signatures making many of these songs epic in scale. Each track flows into the next seamlessly, as the subject matter ranges from existential musings, the hazards and blessings of relationships and challenging the establishment’s strange idea of progress.

The finest moments arrive in the second half of the album beginning with the track “September Song.” There is brightness and optimism to this tune, even though it’s about trying to figure out where to go and what to do when you’re in your thirties and unemployed. Clearly a song about gentrification, “Cinque’s Dream” is set to a backdrop of early ‘90s inspired shoegaze. Simon sings sarcastically about the virtues of an opulent condominium in the guise of a shrewd realtor expounding the virtues of a yuppie paradise: “With built-ins built into your budget, you can always add on if you don’t totally love it,” as the person who was probably forced out due to rent increase looks on, thinking, “You assholes in your condos, free market capitalist ‘so-called liberal’ fascists.” Ending the set, “Come Back Tomorrow,” is a gorgeously melancholy piece of songwriting. A mournful, phased guitar and wearisome vocals, fading into a waltz that echoes itself out. Points for the Warren Zevon name drop.

Given my penchant for sad bastard music, “Pretty Out There”really hit its’ mark. There is enough going on to tingle your spine and bring on a feeling of warm nostalgia. Lyrically introspective a la Big Star and Elliott Smith, with sonic textures that call to mind the likes of The Cure and The Wrens, We/Ours has given us an impressive first outing. I, for one, look forward to tracking their development, as none of these guys seem content to sit still and grow stagnant. I believe exciting things are in the works for their next offering.

Check out We/Ours on its Bandcamp page, https://weours.bandcamp.com/. There you can purchase a digital download of the album. The cassette tape is available through Dead Broke Rekerds, www.deadbrokerecords.com. We/Ours can also be found on Spotify.

RECENTLY IN

Recently in: