UK based Orchards are another band I discovered thanks to a late night Youtube rabbit hole. They showed up as a recommendation on a video I was watching and I was hooked from the first note. After a while of releasing singles and touring they finally compiled an album late in 2018. It's a short eight song album but the contents show you exactly who the band is and what they can do.
One of the best things about the band, something that keeps me coming back is how easy they are to listen to. Everything just feels so smooth. Even the more energetic songs like Age Of You are just painlessly accessible. Which is not to say the songs are simplistic, there's a lot going on between the often irregular drumming, funky and groovy bass line, daring guitar work, and compelling vocals through songs like Peggy and Love U 2. The songs have a really nice ebb and flow and dip into multiple genre tropes to great effect. The aforementioned Love U 2 has the instrumentals and bombastic chorus of a indie rock or pop punk song yet the lyrics betray the upbeat tone of the music telling a emotional story.
The vocal work is especially effective on the album as vocalist Lucy Evers carves her way through each of the songs. Her voice just sucks you into the story or theme being displayed. There's a lot of experimentation here as well, besides the genre bending there's often times the guitars are tuned in a way that more resembles other instruments, the vocal work takes some interesting and unexpected turns as well such as in the song Drama King where it almost sounds as if Evers is off key but yet she manages to demonstrate a mastery of control of her voice.
Orchards are difficult to define, not quite pop punk, not quite mathrock, not quite indie rock, they lie somewhere in between. Their ability to pull from different styles, emotions, themes, and to make something all their own is commendable. The songs here are emotional, powerful, fun, groovy, and dripping with talent. Losers/Lovers is a short album that delivers just a taste of what the band has to offer but damn if that taste isn't sweet.
The vocal work is especially effective on the album as vocalist Lucy Evers carves her way through each of the songs. Her voice just sucks you into the story or theme being displayed. There's a lot of experimentation here as well, besides the genre bending there's often times the guitars are tuned in a way that more resembles other instruments, the vocal work takes some interesting and unexpected turns as well such as in the song Drama King where it almost sounds as if Evers is off key but yet she manages to demonstrate a mastery of control of her voice.
Orchards are difficult to define, not quite pop punk, not quite mathrock, not quite indie rock, they lie somewhere in between. Their ability to pull from different styles, emotions, themes, and to make something all their own is commendable. The songs here are emotional, powerful, fun, groovy, and dripping with talent. Losers/Lovers is a short album that delivers just a taste of what the band has to offer but damn if that taste isn't sweet.