Our Sunday Affairs - City of Dogs

http://oursundayaffairs.bandcamp.com/album/city-of-dogs


So, just about an hour ago I found Our Sunday Affairs through Marietta's facebook page. It's another one of those emo/indie gold nuggets I always feel happy to find. They're all about those sad lyrics I've grown fond of over time. The guitar is that nice poppy type that I like to find in sad songs, I'm really loving these Little Mexico-esque bands. I love that moment when I think "well this is pretty upbeat! It's so... Oh. No, it's sad. It's really sad."

"Police Rock" is a lovely tale about a confusing, albeit interesting, dream. That's not necessarily interpretation, it's the first lyric. Granted, it turns into a grimdark tale about what I assume to be the life of someone who feels rejected from others when they try to explain the thoughts in their head. The idea of trying to explain to others around you what you dream, what you think, and being forced into a modus operandi surrounding and idea of grinding into the earth to what I assume to be death could be more than enough to "think [you're] better off without the dreams". It's a great song, I love it. I love the message, and I think a lot of people would be able to relate, or at least be able to sympathize. As I said, I really like this song. I personally prefer songs that make me think, even if it is about death.

"Hate Parade" makes me personally think about the aftermath of the acid swimming pool referenced in the dream of the first song. The guitar manages to maintain that upbeat tappy sound that I so adore, meanwhile we hear about the difficulties of dealing with where you are. There's a bit of a breakdown in the middle of the song, where I feel like he's looking back onto the things he's done that might be a bit less happy with. Suddenly he starts dealing with a bit of strife, which I don't understand how he can do that with that guitar playing so happily. It's not that easy to deal with a life you're not happy with, and even if you struggle to make things back into what you want them to be, especially if you have to not be yourself to do so.

Now, I get the feeling that these interpretations might not be accurate, but it's what I feel. If you're looking for just a review of the music itself and not the lyrics, it's really good. I mean, it's pretty amazing. That guitar is fantastic. It does a really good job at making me feel like the music isn't what it is, but I don't think I could possibly come up with a better pair for the vocalist, it fits perfectly. The vocals in the first song start a bit unbalanced, and over time they become gold. In reality, that's perfect for this music stylistically. You're looking for emotion in the voice, and Our Sunday Affair has it in spades. Overall, the depth of the lyrics, combined with the incredibly well used vocals and vocal layering, mixed with that upbeat guitar and deep bass makes for a great EP. I'm downloading this as I type, and I can't think of a single reason why you wouldn't too.