After years of writing, recording, and performing Josh Orange has disclosed somewhat of a revelation with the release of their new single Midnight Lights the title track from their album due out on February 12th, 2021.
As the band says, ‘We have learned how to record and get out of the way of a song’. Wise words indeed. And in a sense Midnight Lights does sound like that. A decent song should ideally weather any storm, be it a murky production, lacklustre performance, or obtrusive or uninspired instrumentation.
Thankfully, we don’t have any of that with Midnight Lights. What do we have? Well, we have a band who is sticking to their patch, continuing their jaunt along creativity’s boardwalk. It begins with a drum groove that features an offbeat snare, a fitting choice when considering the song’s swaying, swerving motions.
The entire band is soon alight, with one immediately assuming the group’s inspiration points lie somewhere between U2, Coldplay or near to any number of US indie stadium pop-rockers. But the sound is recalibrated via the restrained intonations of the lead vocal, a sort of quiet, subtle communication rather than a fist in the air, lighter waving stance. And it seems to work. Upon hearing the opening theme, replete with sweet, lonesome guitar lines and fermenting bass pattern, one suspects the low-key verse that ensues is in recession to make way for the gargantuan chorus to come.
‘‘ ‘We love what we do, we are a gang of brothers that are all fighting for the same goal - great songs.
But no, as much as the chorus does contain some memorable sparks, it isn’t bloated but merely acts to strengthen the stride of the band’s low-key posture. And so, with repeated listens some sections of Midnight Lights become more transparent, revealing a depth that can be infinitely more rewarding than being clobbered over the head with an attention-seeking chorus.
It appears that Midnight Lights might also be an attempt to faithfully reproduce the band’s live sound, as the group has revealed, ‘We love what we do, we are a gang of brothers that are all fighting for the same goal - great songs. The live show is where we shine the most: it’s unpredictable, it’s always a huge buzz and we look forward to taking the new album on to a stage soon’.
LISTEN TO JOSH ORANGE HERE: