Our Lady Peace - Gravity

Throughout the recording process of Gravity, the fifth notch into Our Lady Peace’s discography, fans were warned of a different direction for the rock sculpted Canadian quartet. After its precursor – the much-loved Spiritual Machines – a change was thought unnecessary. The band were at their climactic pinnacle of artistry and had evolved to etch their prog-alterna-rock niche into the hearts and minds of fans who want their rock a bit below the procured cut of mainstream radio but still afloat well above the undertow of indie seclusion. But, with Gravity, something has indeed changed. Perhaps it was due to the fallout of their longtime guitarist and the advent of an unfamiliar bandmate; possibly it was because of being holed up in a Hawaiian studio with a hard rock/metal oriented producer. However, I can’t stop myself from thinking that Columbia Records – their respective label – may have put a tweak in their accessibility and a stomp on their creativity. Apart from Raine Miada’s easily perceptible voice, much has been altered. The guitars brim with pseudo-epicism, the lyrics lose the mysterious swagger of subtlety for shades of linearity and it all fits into a tidy package palatable enough to run the radio-ready circuit. Not that those factors would instantaneously deduce Gravity down to, say, Nickelback-esque standards, but with such sound staples as “All For You” pleading its ugly case, dissenting such obtrusions is not simple. Tightening the cracks of the previously spacious alternative prog feel with decidedly rock-ready guitars may not sound disheartening in theory, but in practice it lacks everything that made Our Lady Peace, well, Our Lady Peace. However, there are vague remnants – most notably Raine’s voice – that flicker with haunting nostalgia of their past magic and “Bring Back the Sun” even offers a serene orchestral confluence among emotional drowning, deeming it as Gravity’s most prominent moment. With Our Lady Peace now sadly dialing into radio touchstones, they become a mediocre band that neither aggravates or bewilders. But what is aggravating is the fact that Gravity relinquishes much of the growth and potential that Our Lady Peace spent the last seven years nurturing. Let’s hope this four-some has some anti-Gravity experiences to leave their sixth studio effort lingering in galaxies far apart from their current orb of congeniality. [www.ourladypeace.com]