Mock Orange is not
new to the music industry and has already made around ten albums. They have
been in the music business since the late 90s and don’t seem to be slowing down
with old age. Their latest album Disguised
As Ghosts came out just this year and keeps their familiar indie-rock sound
fresh.
Their last album Live In Brooklyn was filled with catchy,
toe-tapping songs such as “Captain Love” and “Song In D.” Their new album has
its own set of songs to fall in love with, such as “Silent Motion”and “Grow
Your Soul Away.”
“Silent Motion” is
my prediction for the crowd favorite. I have never heard the banjo played
outside of corny country songs, but Mock Orange actually makes the banjo seem
hip. In a time where electric guitars have stolen the hearts of many
youngsters, Mock Orange brings the banjo back and actually makes it sound cool.
“Grow Your Soul
Away” captures the essence of Mock Orange. It emphasizes their classic up-beat, yet relaxed indie rock
vibe.
The beautiful
thing about indie-rock in general is its ability to slow down. Rap and hip-hop
may be at the top of most popular music charts, but those genres set the pace
way too fast to develop any meaning in their lyrics. People don’t even know
what is being said half of the time. . Mock Orange has the ability to get their
message across without sounding rushed, and this makes them more relaxing to
listen to and you know exactly what they’re saying.
Even though the
album has a similar sound from song to song, they are able to break away and
have some have fun. The song “My Car” is comical right from the start. With
words like “Isn’t it hard looking real good all the time? Don’t I look great?
Yah, you look good too/We are the best.” One could interpret this song as
poking fun at the superficial aspects behind material objects, such as a man
putting his car on a pedestal. The tone of this song is light hearted and just
a fun song to listen too.
Mock Orange is
humorous, and beautiful. “Going Away” slows everything down and has the
manliest of men shedding a tear at the beauty of the song. The instrumentation compliments the
vocals perfectly because neither is too overbearing. The ear is able to hear
elements of both the vocals and instrumentation equally.
If Death Cab For
Cutie, Band of Horses, or Radiohead is part of your music collection, you
should definitely check out Mock Orange.
They might be less known, but it would be a welcome addition to your
ears. Mock Orange is able to keep
their music consistent in sound, while at the same time capturing different
tones and tempos, keeping things interesting and fresh.
3 stars
