NEW ARTIST FINDS: OPUS ORANGE

With a pedigree that must include nearly every major indie pop act of the last 10 years, new artist Opus Orange delivers infuriatingly intoxicating melodies and choruses that will make you want to break out your tambourine and dance naked through a field under the starlight. It’s just that damn catchy. Opus Orange will draw the inevitable comparisons to members of the pantheon of indie-rock stardom like Band of Horses and The Shins, but there’s also a smattering of the frolicking decadence of the Polyphonic Spree, and even some of the electronic sensibilities of Tokyo Police Club.

Props to curator Gui Alvim for introducing me to Opus Orange. At first I was undecided if they are paying homage to or simply imitating the storied acts I mentioned above, but after a few listens the band came into their own.

The first song I heard from Opus Orange is called “Balance.” It’s a classic indie-pop song, with excellent instrumental backing and a rhythm track that seems primarily composed of woodblocks and a 36-inch bass drum.

The careening, siren-like backing vocals actually added a lot to the track, and I found myself singing along with them on the second listen.

I liked “Balance,” but I still wasn’t totally convinced by Opus Orange.

Then I listened to “When I Look In Your Eyes.” From the first skittering, electronic note of the intro I knew I was hooked on this song. It’s extremely reminiscent of one of my favorite groups, Tokyo Police Club, with a little lighthearted smattering of The Unicorns in there for good measure.

Like both of these bands, Opus Orange is always encouraging the remix, and this track shows two great examples of what can be done when you start with quality.

When drawing comparisons between bands that are contemporaries it can be tough to give the “underdog” a fair shake. Opus Orange has been active since 2010, and is picking up serious steam with placement in some high-viz advertising spots. Yet to me they’ll always be the newcomers.

I like Opus Orange, I like what they’re doing, and I hope they keep doing it. If Opus Orange can maintain the quality I’m hearing from them today, I wouldn’t be surprised if soon I’m using them as the benchmark against which other new artists are compared.

About Danny Rudzinski

Danny “Drudzins” Rudzinski is an experienced freelance writer, designer and Internet marketer, a semi-professional musician, and an amateur photographer. Danny writes a wide variety of content for the web, covering everything from music to Internet marketing. He has been passionate about music from a young age and has developed some strong – and not always popular – opinions on the matter. Danny’s favorite things include Reddit, unrelenting pessimism, and general carousing and revelry.