MUSIC REVIEW
The Orielles- Disco Volador Review
Britain, as can be evidenced by everyone from the Arctic Monkeys to Blossom and Circa Waves has a reputation as a longtime producer of indie music. Part of the more recent wave of exports has been The Orielles, a group now on their sophomore effort after debuting with Silver Dollar Moment two years ago. Their follow-up Disco Volador pushes their “sonic horizon to its outer limits” in the words of the band, identifying far more with the genre distinction of “Post-Disco Punk” than anything in the indie realm.
From the launch, Disco Volador does come in on a far more versatile higher-grade plane than does an average listener’s idea of an indie record. “Come Down On Jupiter” is equal parts psychedelic, indie and international, an active pastiche of “Crosseyed And Painless” by Talking Heads and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s “The River”. “Rapid i” succulently blends funky, stuttering organs with gliding phased guitar, bassist/frontwoman Esme Hand smoothing and soothing the whole thing over with her easy vocal stylings.
“Memories Of Miso” is entirely of the ethers, marked by well-blended square synths and an overlaying saxophone bridge that takes a trippy, jet-setting indie song into smooth jazz territory. “Bobbi’s Second World” steps into new age party funk by taking a slightly Doors-y premise (think “The Changeling” off L.A Woman) and steering it into Parliament-Funkadelic territory, providing the neo-funk to Hiatus Kaiyote’s neo-soul. One might think they were hearing the beginning of “Dream Weaver” as “Whilst The Flowers Look” starts off; Hand quickly swipes away the confusion and launches into some glorious harmony work on the chorus. “The Square Eyed Pack” continues the easing vocality and follows along the established line of tambourine-laced psychedelia, customarily immersed in an electronic cosmos of synth and organ.
“7th Dynamic Goo” starts jazzy, if only for a second- moving into another cool, slick groove made for making a grand voyage down a coastal highway in the summer. “A Material Mistake” is guided through the motions strictly by the strings- the guitar is plainly hypnotic, the bass head-infesting as possible; the unique drum lines on “Euro Borealis” taking over the wheel in like fashion. Where’s the disco in Disco Volador though? “Space Samba (Disco Volador Theme)” shows that perhaps the best is saved for last, bringing in on the curtains with every bit of the Studio-54-meets-the-Mile-End flavor promised in the Orielles’ bio. Every element explored and incorporated throughout is brought out in force towards a fitting and climactic ending, ensuring that the record right up to the end stays true to its promise.
Disco Volador sees that the Orielles can and will deliver on their word and are an exciting young band continuing to grow. One drawback perhaps is the repetitiveness that the album, unfortunately, falls into overtime, a preventative measure in retrospect would have been to cut the album about two or three tracks short to ensure it does not become laborious to listen to. Other than that, Volador is a lively, colorful collection of numbers and a sign of great things to come for another one of Britain’s finest.
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