Garage rock means different things to different people. To some it’s the Strokes and the Black Keys, maybe the Black Lips and Thee Oh Sees. To others it’s the Marked Men and the Dirtnap roster. On their second album, ‘Disgraceland’, the Orwells occupy similar territory to the former, having largely severed ties with the scuzzy tones of their debut, ‘Remember When’.
Touting their reputation as a great live band, this record’s release has been accompanied by wild TV slots and slanging matches with Arctic Monkeys, their recent tour-mates, leaving the actual songs very much in the background.
‘Disgraceland’ does, in fact, have its share of winning tunes, even if it never fully embraces the sugar-rush melodies that so neatly balance out the sharp edges of the finest bands to carry the garage rock tag. This is a record that has been whipped into shape, not one that set out to be poppy.
With production touches from Dave Sitek, Chris Coady and Jim Abbiss - who have albums from Kelis, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beach House and Arctic Monkeys between them - this is a muscular affair that’s also resolutely clean cut. The grime that accompanies the Black Lips, the Orwells’ idols, almost every second of every day is conspicuous by its absence.
That can’t stop songs like Bathroom Tile Blues and Gotta Get Down from worming their way into your brain, but it piles more weight on some young shoulders. It’s very clear that this is intended to be a step up, a more mature statement from a band who have previously enjoyed being obnoxiously precocious. But, in fact, it’s a record by a band still learning who they are.
Its lyrics, penned by frontman Mario Cuomo, flit from “feelings bundled up from high school shit” to mixed views of the rock ‘n’ roll archetype, both celebratory and regretful. There's an undercurrent of violence - shotguns waiting to be found and blood collecting in shot glasses - and the album's view of women rarely extends beyond a misanthropic reading of the objectification that riddled Sunset Strip rock 30 years ago.
Matt O’Keefe and Dominic Corso’s melodic guitar lines bolster their arsenal, but too often they can’t rescue songs that should erupt into massive hooks from fizzling out. The Orwells have some learning to do, but, still, the signs suggest that they have it within them to make a go of this rock 'n' roll thing.
The Orwells Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue June 03 2014 - EDINBURGH Electric Circus
Wed June 04 2014 - NOTTINGHAM Nottingham Rescue Rooms
Thu June 05 2014 - LONDON Dingwalls
Fri June 06 2014 - MANCHESTER Gorilla
Click here to compare & buy The Orwells Tickets at Stereoboard.com.
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
