RECORD OF THE WEEK 

The Orchid – Beyond The Vast, Endless Sea

Washington DC based band The Orchid have just released, on Liberty Fuse Records, their first full length album. Beyond The Vast, Endless Sea follows on from the debut ‘New Mexico’ EP (released 2010). This latest release comprises 7 tracks with track times ranging from ~6mins to 11mins. They describe their music as patient music, and by that they mean that it takes a bit of time in the tracks for the music to build up. I think that they summarized their sound perfectly, the music is well written, rich in melodies and lots of quiet/less quiet moments. Its a great post-rock album. For some strange reason the music is very calming, with even the crescendos only elevating to an above calm state. They always remain composed through the album, the music never gets totally out of hand. I particularly like the production of the album, it was produced in a recording studio and I think that that sometimes makes a difference between a good sound and a great sounding album. I really struggle to choose favorite tracks on albums and this is no exception, although I would note that the opener Dont Be Afraid and also the track Vernacular are excellent.

BAND MEMBERS

Jason Garber (guitar)
Jim Jones (guitar, effects)
Joao Malhinha (drums, percussion)
Clay Redding (bass, guitar)
James Wolf (violin, organ, piano, guitar)