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Review: 'Blue Orchids'
'Angus Tempus Memoir'   

-  Album: '(souvenirs From The Subconcious)' -  Label: 'Tiny Global Productions/Bandcamp'
-  Genre: 'Indie' -  Release Date: '1.7.22.'

Our Rating:
Over the last 38 years or so since I first bought records by The Blue Orchids and The Orchids I've often gotten them confused, so imagine my surprise at being sent new albums by both bands to review in the same week, so today I am reviewing the two bands back to back and trying not to be too confused, the reviews won't be posted on the same day as The Dreaming Kind by The Orchids isn't out till September.

So the current line-up for the Blue Orchids is main man Martin Bramah with John Paul Moran on Keyboards, Howard Jones on Drums, Vincent Hunt on Bass and Tansy McNally on Ukelele. The lyrics to the album were written first with the music written to fit the lyrics later.

The album opens with the very slow plucked and strummed Peturbation that almost feels like they are just tuning or warming up.
What Thing Is Man is a bass stomp and dark twisted guitars and vocals that ruminate on all sorts of problems caused by man, This is in similar territory to the more obtuse Nightingales tunes and with a grand rising organ that brings the tune to its climax.

Long And Loud Were The Applause has them wondering just what you do to get multiple encores, or are you just standing on the front porch clapping as if that's all it takes , Martin Bramah almost in places sounds like he's singing a different tune to the music, but it all works as a wonky organ led tune with a rather dark edge to it.

The Adventure Thus Embarked Upon has a swirling organ sound and a similar sensibility to The Jazz Butchers Last Of The Gentleman Adventurers but less jazz inflected, although the organ is very Jimmy Smith however Howard Jones drumming has a steady thump for the vocals to work around.

No Ghosts No Answers refuses to tell me why I always get The Orchids and The Blue Orchids confused with each other. This is a good organ driven pop tune that refuses to see any ghosts and has gently evocative vocals for a song that has the air of a tune that could have come out anywhere between 1981 and 9 and be hailed as a new indie anthem.

The Young Generation Is Our Hope takes a fast military drum beat and crystalline guitars to back this hopeful song that really believes that the younger generation really can force through the changes we need as he wonders if the songs title is true or false, the vocals are dense and need to be heard a few times to sink in.

O Joyous City opens like it might be a hymn but quickly becomes far more like a rabble rousing Pogues song, so raise your glasses and toast whichever joyous City you happen to be in, and if you're not in a city toast the one you most enjoy going too. Whatever you do don't regret what you got up too last night in this joyous city this is a great slightly odd anthem.

My Sympathies Are Entirely With The Stranger is a dark tale about seeing someone you know get what's coming to them and being glad that they did. Even if you don't know the other party, with some tricky guitar and more of that fabulous organ sound. This story took place long enough ago that he could find a payphone to use to call the police from.

They Believe We Ought To Live In Solitude is a very lock down type of song, as Martin sings about being encouraged to be in your own little cell and never go out, with the organ going quite horror film in places as they try to work out the truth from the lies that we are being told but with Martin adopting a querulous tone throughout as he seeks collaboration and convivial interaction.

It Was In This Scene Of Strife is full on musical torture porn that paints the desperate scene within our dismal times, the organ re-works House Of The Rising Sun into the dystopian blues mauler this is like a 21st century Brian Auger protest song.

The suitably funereal For The Death is dark anxious and paints one more horrific scene both musically and lyrically to make you remember some of the dead.

The album closes with a reprise of Peturbation that this time feels like the end credits music to some truly weird film which in its way its rather fitting for this album.

Find out more at https://blueorchids.bandcamp.com/album/angus-tempus-memoir https://www.facebook.com/blueorchidsband


  author: simonovitch

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