OUR LADY PEACE / Spiritual Machines (2000)

It’s funny how the most significant and lingering concepts in Kurzweil’s carefully-penned hybrid history/textbook/novel sprang from the tiny, off-hand responses of his fictional conversation partner, Molly. The consequences of both his predicted change in the nature of humanity, and the philosophical musings given rise to in those conversations are rather ethereally expanded upon here, sonically and lyrically. Raine makes the endeavor more palatable, but honestly no less haunting, when all is said and done. The requisite shadowed side of the coin was ironically delivered by the person I’d least expect.

That’s probably why I love it so much.

Songs of Note: Made to Heal; Everyone's A Junkie

5 Attempts to Convince Yourself That It’ll All Be Okay out of 5

OUR LADY PEACE / Gravity (2002)

Assuming you were born prior to 2002, you've heard Somewhere Out There. You have. And, to be honest, if you liked it (before it was played into the ground, of course), then this is a really good place to start with Our Lady Peace. It's not as lyrically intricate as the albums that preceded it, but it is equally capable of being intensely emotionally resonant. There are some absolutely stellar songs about facing and attempting to overcome our innate fragility as human beings with the help of others. Raine is everything Bono thinks he is, but decidedly IS NOT.

You are not alone. Relinquish your pain unto him.

Songs of Note: Not Enough; A Story About a Girl (no, not that one.)

4½ Letters From the Lost Days out of 5

OUR LADY PEACE / Clumsy (1997)

If you’ve heard Superman’s Dead, you may hate Raine Maida’s voice. If you’re not a native Canadian, it’s very possible that you’ve only ever heard Somewhere Out There. Either way, I pity you. While Raine’s lyrics ultimately became more accessible, they’re still deliciously obtuse here and remained so for some time to come. Don’t bother with OLP if you’re looking for an easy listen, on any level. If you step onto this carousel, you’d better be ready to both ferret out and self-interpret the meaning buried herein. Raine’s voice is titillating (especially on Car Crash) and his cryptic missives mingle with the boys’ chunky riff-rock to deliver some absolutely stellar songs. The simultaneously spine-chilling and eye-moistening variety.

Songs of Note: Carnival; 4am

5 Lonely, But Strangely Comforting Laundromat Visits out of 5