Orchards debut album feels like it’s been a long time coming. The Brighton math-pop quartet have put out a number of singles and EPs since 2016, making a name for themselves with their fusion of complex mathy riffs and pop hooks – now, the album is finally here, released on Big Scary Monsters. While Orchards have smoothed out some of the more angular edges of their earlier releases, ‘Lovecore’ is still chock full of indie hits, made for being listened to in the summer sun.
Orchards wear their influences on their sleeves. You can hear the mid-noughties indie pop throughout the album, with early Foals, Bloc Party, and Maximo Park immediately jumping to mind. Since their first releases Orchards have evolved into a slick outfit, encompassing all their indie, pop and math influences, and this album works best when the styles merge seamlessly. You can imagine listening to tracks like ‘Sincerely Overwhelmed’ or ‘Magical Thinking’ in the sun at a festival, beer in hand and having a great time.
Vocalist Lucy Evers has a ear for a catchy hook and melody, while guitarist Sam Rushton backs it all up with a whole range of twiddly, intricate riffs. They also have a knack for writing big pop tunes that have a darker side when you delve deeper into the lyrics. Evers’ touches on mental health issues, insecurity and loss throughout the record – and all these themes simmer under the surface of upbeat songs. It’s not all about the indie pop, though, as on a couple of tracks Orchards try something different – whether it’s the spoken word interlude ‘Social Sobriety’, or the riffy final track ‘History‘.
It’s not a perfect record, and the math-pop sound doesn’t merge quite as successfully on a few of the songs. Sometimes they can seem a bit caught in two minds – unsure whether to give in fully to their pop sensibilities or stick to their more complex roots – but for a debut record, ’Lovecore’ shows a lot of promise. Evers’ vocals soar across the whole album, with her charismatic and versatile delivery the most compelling part of the band’s sound.
Fifteen years ago, Orchards would be huge already. They’ve got a tonne of big tunes, an energetic stage show, and an ear for a killer hook that suggests they have ambitions to make it big. Whether ‘Lovecore’ is the album that sends Orchards into the mainstream remains to be seen, but it does show that Orchards are certainly a band to keep an eye on. ’Lovecore’ is a solid debut, full of catchy pop songs, with just enough experimentation and ambition to make you excited for their future.
And once that long-fabled ‘guitar-music’ mainstream renaissance happens (we can keep hoping) you could do worse than to bet on Orchards making it big.
JAMES LILLYWHITE