One of the most pleasant surprises of this year was the return of The Orchids. The Sarah Records legends dropped a single not too long ago, and now their first album in nearly a decade is out tomorrow on Skep Wax. That the album is an absolute delight is probably another thing I should say right now.
Opener "Didn't We Love You?" churns and yearns, James Hacket's voice and John Scally's guitar reaching for the heavens, while "I Never Thought I Was Clever" rides a hook that is subtly catchy. This one sort of sneaks up on a listener, The Orchids again reminding us after so many years how very easy they made this all look. It's likely not, of course, but it's good that they're back at it. "Something Missing" adds a bit of texture to the jangle-pop, while "This Boy is a Mess" shines just as much within the context of the record as it did earlier as a standalone taste. "I Don't Mean to Stare", from the Under the Bridge compilation, pulses with promise here, even as "Echoes (Have Hope)" unfurls at a deliberate pace, ripples of guitar and a solid rhythmic underpinning from Chris Quinn and Ronnie Borland doing the lifting here.
The Orchids made music that seemed so unassuming at times, even as they gamely did everything in their power to expand the palette of sounds available to a jangle band from jangle label Sarah Records. Their reach remains ambitious, and their craft maybe more so. These tunes here on Dreaming Kind are elegantly presented at times, but never overwhelmed by the production. Things almost glisten like a classic Prefab Sprout record without the synths, but The Orchids keep this grounded. The tunes are expertly constructed, broadly catchy at times, but achingly sung and delicately performed when necessary. The players, thankfully back, unspool a quiet energy all throughout the length of this set of beautiful tunes. The directness here makes me love Dreaming Kind, and maybe more than I did earlier albums from The Orchids.
Dreaming Kind is out this Friday via Skep Wax. Friday is Bandcamp Friday so I'd also urge you to buy it via the Bandcamp link below.
[Photo: The Orchids / Skep Wax]