Oranger

Every now and then I just need a dose of pop, and while Oranger’s New Comes and Goes may not serve as a panacea, it is a fairly good treatment. The band combines the upbeat tempos, fuzzy guitars, and quirky keys of power-pop with Beck-like vocals to create a sound that may not always be refreshing, but is almost always catchy.

Oranger may not be racking up the originality points, but their often familiar sound is well crafted and packed full of infectious melodies, a goal that a genre like power-pop holds in high esteem. Tracks like “Outtatoch,” “Sukiyaki,” and “Light Machine” recall power-pop heavyweights Superdrag and Fountains of Wayne with their great hooks, driving rhythms, and pop harmonies, while “New Comes and Goes” sounds like a slowed down version of Ted Leo’s “I’m a Ghost.” “Crones” even recalls Photo Album-era Death Cab thanks to its quick note picking and softer vocal approach on the verses.

Despite these great songs, Oranger still stumbles quite often and hit the ground hard in the process. On “Garden Party for the Murder Pride” the band awkwardly shift from sleazy rock verses (complete with cowbell) to a faster chorus and then a synth-heavy jam section. Other songs like “Radiowave,” “Whacha Holden,” and “Target You by Feel” seem to search too long and hard for hooks, hurting what could have been some simple pop songs in the process. The piano-driven ballad “Flying Pretend” also sticks out like a sore thumb because it kills the flow of an otherwise peppy album. Maybe if placed at the start or end of the disc, it could better be appreciated.

New Comes and Goes fills that lighter fare niche that can be easily described by common musical adjectives like poppy, catchy, and bouncy. It may not be a heavy rotator in your collection, but can provide a much-needed pick-me-up.