Record Label: Wednesday Records
Genre: Indie
Band Link: www.wednesdayrecords.com
Buy on Amazon.com

Mock Orange impresses with their new one. Those not familiar with this often overlooked band can expect sweet yet mildly quirky indie-folk vocals over thumping drums and lush instrumentation. Think a smoothed-over, sweeter natured Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse.

Rather than those other bands’ crawl to crescendo, Mock Orange packs smart arrangements into short durations for dynamic songs that, if not overambitious, at least don’t overstay their welcome. “Grow Your Soul Away” and “Silent Motion” are like condensed Arcade Fire songs – just the good parts. Even the jammy math rock/jazz-folk on “I Can Sing” is like an oddly happy burst of Yes. The excellent musicianship and lack of pretention make it work.

There are a couple of quieter, simpler tunes (“Sidewalk” and “Going Away”) that are folky and pleasant enough in a Shins way, but risk gumming up the album. Otherwise, this is a consistently solid, engaging album.

Bottom Line: What they lack in hipster cool they make up for in smart songwriting and smooth execution.
Notable Tracks: Grow Your Soul Away, Silent Motion, End of the World, Roll Your Eyes
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