The Ugly Organ

by Cursive

Overview

Whereas 2000's Domestica explored the intense pain of Tim Kasher's divorce, The Ugly Organ is a tale of empty sex, overwrought melodrama, and metaphors of which the album's title is only the first. Kasher likes making you feel queasy, and Cursive backs him up with unpredictable instrumental turns. "Butcher the Song" could be about a lot of things, but it's definitely not happy, and its instrumentation lurches in stops and rushing starts like a drivetrain gone bad. "Art Is Hard" is much louder. "Keep turning out those hits! Till it's all the same old sh*t!" The clattering guitars shoot backward at Cursive's louder roots, but the knifing lyrics stab wildly at fans, the band, the industry -- any target available. Kasher and company are similarly restless throughout The Ugly Organ, and that sentiment makes the album both rewarding and frustrating. They're capable of great beauty, particularly in the sure hand of cellist Gretta Cohn, who first appeared on the Burst and Bloom EP but is a true force here. She adds a soaring melody to "Driftwood: A Fairy Tale," making it sound like Spoon with a fuller lineup. ~ Johnny Loftus

Product Details

Release Date:	11/14/2025
Label:	Run For Cover
UPC:	0199438000758

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Cursive   Primary Artist
Matt Maginn   Bass
Conor Oberst   Vocals
Ted Stevens   Guitar,Vocals
Chris Acker   Trombone
Gretta Cohn   Cello
Mike Mogis   Vibraphone,Keyboards,Guitar,Bells
Thad Aerts   Horn
Jenny Lewis   Vocals
Alex McManus   Vocals
Tim Kasher   Vocals,Guitar,Organ
Robert Hawkins   Vocals
Sara Wilson   Vocals
Clark Baechle   Vocals
Todd Fink   Vocals
Malcolm Miles   Horn
A.J. Mogis   Vocals

Technical Credits

Cursive   Composer,Producer
Dan Brennan   Producer,Engineer
Doug Van Sloun   Mastering
Mike Brannan   Producer,Engineer
Mike Mogis   Producer,Engineer,Mixing
Tim Kasher   Producer
A.J. Mogis   Engineer