From the maniacal opening notes and carnival barker howlthat launch the album, The Ugly Organ wasted no timesearing itself into a listener's ears and quickly establishedCursive as a musical force with which to be reckoned. A self-aware examination of artistic constraints (or lack thereof),relationships, sex, and the intersection of all three, The UglyOrgan wowed critics and audiences alike with it's cerebral,cathartic blend of songs.Fiercely intelligent and cohesive - the liner notes laid thesongs out like a play, complete with stage directions - acrossit's diverse sonic landscape, the album landed Cursive on theSunday Arts & Leisure section cover of The New York Times(which also called it "a marvelous collection of riddles andleft turns, conceived as a single piece of musical theater")and earned accolades from Rolling Stone ("a brilliant leapforward"), Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, Alternative Press,MAGNET ("The best punk record you'll hear all year"),Esquire, and SPIN, among many others, as well as a placeon numerous year-end best lists.The Ugly Organ feels as vibrant and vital today as it didupon release more than 20 years ago. A landmark album,it not only catapulted Cursive from the simmering indieunderground to the forefront of a genre, but also served toinspire a host of young bands in it's wake.