Released: 28th February 2020
Rating: ★★★★
When a band gets it right on their first album, it can set aside two different paths. There’s the path where the pressure gets too much and their attempts to “evolve” end up down the toilet. Then there’s the path where the glints and flashes that shone on their first record are just an indicator for something even more dazzling. For The Orielles, that’s the path they’ve tucked their motor down. ‘Disco Volador’ is the sound of a band already comfortable in their skin, stretching their legs and dashing right to the top of the pile with a sound only they are truly masters of.
More fluid and expressive, ‘Disco Volador’ dares to go where debut ‘Silver Dollar Moment’ wouldn’t. All jangling guitars and wistful skies shine bright throughout from a band continually adding depth and walls of sound that make you want to crack out your summer trunks and dive right on in. ‘Rapid i’ and its Ibiza piano lines swell into a shimmering diamond, while saxophones and riding waves collide into a mesmeric gift on ‘Memoirs Of Miso’.
With a knack for heavenly harmonies throughout, the worlds of experimental and immediate are what takes things above and beyond. ‘Come Down On Jupiter’ and ‘Bobbi’s Second World’ (the latter already a famed live staple for the band) could be just as comfortable on the indie club dancefloor as it is plugged into bedroom sound systems. That sense of playful fun on ‘7th Dynamic Goo’ and ‘Space Samba (Disco Volador Theme)’ practically bursts into sunshine – a sense of innocence, hope and pure satisfaction that perfectly capture what The Orielles are doing differently.
A bountiful next step for a band with a distinct voice, ‘Disco Volador’ is a record that shows the heart and soul of dancing into the sunrise.
Jamie Muir
