Time of Orchids - Namesake Caution (2007)

This is a huge recommendation.  Has anyone else listened to the album yet?  I wasn't much a fan of Sarcasm While, far too w**ky for my tastes, songs never really went anywhere, but this album is something entirely new.  Something I really haven't ever heard before, I don't think.  If I set it in a genre, I'd call it Rock In Opposition pop, and that's exactly what it is, think of Kayo Dot, then mix that with Beach Boys.  You'll get jarring dissonance and beautiful consonance (at the same time ), heavy and soft instrumentation (at the same time ) and huge contrasts in between.  I reviewed the album a couple minutes ago, this is possibly my favorite album of 2007.

avestin wrote: I am slowly getting to know it more and more but even at first listen I realized how I like it and it's getting better with each listen. I mentioned it in the RIO Drop In Centre thread and gave my quick synopsis of it.   I hope my wife and I get to see them next month in NYC at The Stone

Holy sh*t, I hope you do to!  avestin, you listen to a lot of great music, in case you didn't know. 

avestin wrote: mecca wrote: avestin wrote: I am slowly getting to know it more and more but even at first listen I realized how I like it and it's getting better with each listen. I mentioned it in the RIO Drop In Centre thread and gave my quick synopsis of it.   I hope my wife and I get to see them next month in NYC at The Stone     Holy sh*t, I hope you do to!  avestin, you listen to a lot of great music, in case you didn't know.    And yeah, even though I liked this album at first listen, it continues to grow on me.  I think what's so spectacular about the album is that it's just really hard to understand.  I'll try to find your post by the way, I'm interested in what you thought of it.     Sorry, I should have looked for it myself.   Here's what I initially posted in the RIO thread:   Originally posted by avestin TIME OF ORCHIDS - Namesake Caution   Mostly clear vocals (even harmonies), heavy, mostly slow pace, and yet somehow also delicate... reminds me of Kayo Dot's approach and sound at times... they have this abstract quality to their music and yet there is always a sense of direction to it, never veering to unclear waters. Occasionally there's a play of guitars that brings to mind label mates Ahleuchatistas' style, Experimental, pushing forward; I personally like this release quite a lot, it clicked from first listen, and I somehow seem to understand the music, its direction and aim or more accurately, seem to be on the same "vibe".   Just to followup on something: I find it remarkable that a band can be as experimental, angular sounding even, abstract and go into what most people would deem noise or unlistenable and yet have the ability to protray such delicacy at the same time, whether it be with their vocals or by means of the more soft and calm passages in their songs or simply by the way the songs are arranged and the instrumentation.         I agree with what you wrote "it's just really hard to understand", there's a complexity to it, mainly in the rhythm guitars playing angular and complex parts changing time signatures and pace (at times reminding me of Ahleuchatistas and Upsilon Acrux).

I can see a lot of similarities to Ahleuchatistas and Upsilon Acrux as well, a lot of the album lends itself to the math rock field, there's a mixture of many different genres, but they all blend together by the great pacing.  Wow, now I realize what wasn't utilized well at all in Sarcasm While, and that's pacing, the individual musical elements in their previous album can be nice IF and ONLY IF they're placed correctly, Sarcasm felt really choppy, there was no continuity, and that's what was gained in this album, they were able to contain so many different influences in one album because of one thing, pace.

avestin wrote: ^^^ I see what you mean. Well, this is turning to be a very interesting discussion.   I haven't heard their previous albums (except for samples and Myspace). Aside from the previuos one, have you heard any other album? Would you recommend them?

The album that got me into them was Sarcasm While, and that was because of a select number of songs on the album that were really great.  It kind of felt like a sadly misshapen collaboration of different bands, though, so that's what kept me waiting until a new album; I knew they had potential, though, through Sarcasm While. 

Edited by mecca - October 13 2007 at 19:51

I hope I can make their show in NYC next month.

They said they'll be glad to sign my copy and they'll have more stuff to sell and I hope I can get some small questions to ask them to post here in PA and maybe a show review. It all depends if I can make it.

 

 

mecca wrote: My somewhat local record store Atomic Records finally received the album, I'm going to pick it up tomorrow; I can't wait!    Just wondering, avestin, are the lyrics in the packaging of Namesake Caution?  And yeah, I really hope you can make it, I'd definitely like to hear more information from the band.

I haven't heard this album yet, but Time of Orchids are an awesome band.