Probably not in Southern California: Other Lives

TBD Records is responsible for unleashing a hefty dose of melancholia into the American airwaves of late—first with the US release of Radiohead’s In Rainbows and now with Other Lives’ glimmering self-titled debut. Hailing from Stillwater, OK, the five-piece band cites lofty influences such as Jóhann Jóhannsson and Arvo Pärt, but you’re more likely to hear Beatles and Rufus Wainwright in the execution, which is a sweeter deal in the end.

Oscillating between saturnine piano rock and lilting, starry-eyed chamber pop, Other Lives willingly leads you through various mood shifts. Piano, cello and violin add orchestral nuances to the theatrical “AM Theme,” while singer Jesse Tabish lets his inner Hamlet come through in the world-weary waltz of “E Minor.” It’s an excellent little tune you’ll be happy to drift along with. But it’s their track “Black Tables” that will get the indie pundits buzzing. An iterating piano and yawning strings create an elegiac backdrop to Tabish’s quiet refrain: “With your body in mine restored / It’s good to see you once more.” “Black Tables” may remind you of the long, slow march to the soaring climax of Death Cab’s “Transatlanticism” or Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android.” The melody takes its time to unfold, but its epic break is worth the wait.

Other Lives also received a free logo design from our partner Alphabet Arm a while back. Cool!