Review: Oranjuly "Oranjuly"

Oranjuly is: Brian E. King (songs/arrangements/recordings, vocals, guitar, keys), Jordan Weaver (guitar, vox), Chris Erickson (bass), Greg Souza (keys, vox, trumpet), and Lou Paniccia (drums). This powerpop outfit takes its name by merging King's favorite color with the month he was born. Conveniently, their self-titled debut record bows next month.

The first track Oranjuly throws at the listening world is an epic performance called "Her Camera", which combines a retro organ bounce with modern searing guitars. The song, peppered with clever harmonies reminiscent of Queen, is merely a prelude to what this new band can do. "Mrs. G" comes on strong with cheerful piano leading the way to one of the catchiest choruses on the record, augmented with handclaps, soulful backing vocals, and a gleeful synth solo right out the 80s. The smart mid-tempo ditty, "I Could Break Your Heart", keeps the party going strong with a 50s dance beat juxtaposed against contemporary guitar tones. No one else has pulled off such an effective combination since Weezer's early hit, "Buddy Holly". Additional highlights include the sizzling "Personal Ads", the groovy "Hollywood Blues", and "207 Days", which has an intro that reminds me of Christopher Cross.

You can't help but have a good time hearing these ten songs - Oranjuly has delivered once of the most impressive powerpop debuts in recent memory, expertly taking the guilty pleasures of our musical archives and breathing new life into them.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9

Oranjuly on MySpace. Official site.