Omaha's Cursive distills their resident chaos to its most brilliant essence,embracing discord along with a heightened sense of volume-drenched melodicismon The Ugly Organ, a dark rumination on sexual and emotional dysfunction.The music that Cursive concocts to accompany this stark lyrical canvas is aroller coaster of sonic extremism, from a dissonant Weillian carnival worthyof Tom Waits to a rock epic that suggests a love of Alice Cooper's bombastand Smashing Pumpkins' bravado. Tim Kasher's wildly emotive vocalsexhibit the breathless passion of Robert Smith's yelp and frenetic intensityof Ian MacKaye's howl, while the band provides the perfectly punkish offkilter mood for Kasher's controlled madness. Cursive's secret weaponis cellist Gretta Cohn, who provides a compelling chamber atmosphere with theband's schizophrenic aplomb, alternately stroking or sawing her stringsto gain the desired effect. From quiet lows to nerve-bending highs, Cursiveinvests The Ugly Organ with a visceral and conceptual power that majesticallysupports its twisted sexual manifesto.