"For 12" by Other Lives

Other Lives (from left to right): Jenny Hsu (cellist, percussion, backing vocals), Colby Owens (clarinet, percussion), Jesse Tabish (songwriter, vocals, piano, guitar), Josh Onstott (bass, percussion), Jon Mooney (violin, horns, piano, percussion).

Hey, guys! It's Lindsey here with my weekly Tuesday post!

Let's just start this by saying picking one song to review by this band has been plaguing me since Wednesday of last week. Let me preface this statement by saying this is my favorite band. I share some of my fondest memories with their music, memories that include riding through the rolling green hills of the English countryside on a bus and watching the sunset at the edge of my town in my car, the sweet melodies of this band playing in the background and the warmth of the summer heat on my skin. My memories of this band tie their music to nature, beauty, and happiness.

The band started out in Stillwater, Oklahoma as a band originally called Kunek. They were just a group of kids fresh out of high school who started experimenting with instrumental music. The name change to Other Lives came about after a band member parted ways. The band did nothing but write and play music for six years and because of the lack of influence in the small town of Stillwater, what they produced was uninfluenced by other bands or artists. It's truly a unique sound they've created, and the band creates music like nothing else I've ever encountered.

Jesse Tabish, the lead singer of the band, also writes the songs. Tabish, who has been writing songs since he was ten years old, gets most of his inspiration from being on the road and seeing beautiful western landscapes, a theme that can be clearly seen in the first album, "Other Lives." Each of the five band members plays multiple instruments which really aids their unique sound, a sound that has been called "prophetic and beautiful." Every song they've created fits this description to me which is why it was so hard to choose just one song.  I'm not quite good at picking exact words to define their sound, but this article on Digital Trends puts it best when they say it is "densely layered, beautifully arranged, and darkly melodic" music. 

I chose the song "For 12" because it was the first song I came to love by them. I started out with only a few songs to listen to before I became obsessed (obsessed meaning I listened to them and only them for just about 3 months straight), and this song was one of them. The song... I lack the ability to describe it. It's from the album "Tamer Animals," an album which is quite different from their first album but equally as beautiful.

Take a listen below and let me know what you think in the comments. I included the lyrics as well because I think they're very lovely. If you enjoy it, I highly suggest exploring their music and giving it a good listen. It's well worth it.

Lyrics:

I was in the dark age

Searching for the ones in my mind

I'm so far away

But I had hit the ground runnin'

Steady as you go, I don't mind

I'm still here today

Oh, spouting hymns and buzzing rhymes

And forever talking when it ain't so kind

But it feels like forever on the run

When your mind turns to fiction

And I had took the long way

I was in the heat, I don't mind

I'm so far away

But it feels like forever on the run

When your mind turns to fiction

Nudging the ghost from the skull

and a night without sleep

Vibration comes

First to the head and last to the feet

Spouting hymns and buzzing rhymes

And forever talking when it ain't so kind

But it feels like forever on the run

When your mind turns to fiction

Rating: 5 RECORDS (I would give 50 if I were able.)

Photo: Digital Trends
Information: Lawrence, Wikipedia - Other Lives