Other Lives
Other Lives
(TBD Records, 2009)

Back when members of Other Lives were a more instrumental outfit called Kunek, they made a beautiful, sweeping record called Flight of the Flynns. It was lush and inspired, and it caused me and my rock journalist brethren to take note. But although Flight of the Flynns had an overabundance of magical, orchestral arrangements (all of which translated well in their live show), it was obvious the group lacked the strong center that would help them appeal to a wider audience, as vocals in the music seemed like a garnish and none of the tracks particularly stuck in your head.

Now the Stillwater, OK group, comprised of Jesse Tabish, Colby Owens, Josh Onstott, Jonathon Mooney, and Jenny Hsu, is at the onset of an exciting deal with TBD Records (the imprint of ATO that was started to release Radiohead’s In Rainbows), releasing the self-titled, full-length follow-up to their well-received, also eponymous, EP from last year. And where their ethereal earlier music was pretty but fleeting, Other Lives takes a stronger stand, cleverly infusing a prevailing lyrical narrative and more instrumental diversity.

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