Orchards - 'Double Vision'

Math rock force fed Tropicana. With all the bits left in... 

Math Rock is the best. It just features everything that can possibly be loved about music. Crazy instrumental virtuosity. Time signatures for days. The enthusiasm of those pop punk bands you allowed yourself to love. So imagine my excitement the first time Brighton's Orchards first came into fruition. 2017's Peggy contains enough wiry intelligent nonsense and light hearted attitude, it was impossible to ignore and even harder not to fall in love with. And whilst their sound has been consistently streamlining (the Paramore-aping Luv You 2 still contained some of the more complex guitar lines of their previous work), what made Orchards instantly lovable is no longer apparent on Double Vision. What is present however, is an ambition, work ethic, ear for a tune and a completely infectious sense of fun. 

Swapping twiddly TTNG-style guitars with a subtle effects driven direct work, Double Vision champions the stadium-toting style math that Foals popularised and bands such as COLOUR carry the sword for. What sets Orchards apart from these bands, is the sheer joy that they're propelling throughout this song. There's no irony when Lucy Evers sings "Revenge could be so sweet" with the charm of a Disney Princesss wearing her favourite mid-naughties emo band crop tee. The rhythm of the song doesn't let up throughout, making the inherent complexities of the stringed instruments into a no-holds-barred dancefloor banger. Once the surprise of Orchards' departure makes itself apparent to you you don't want them to play any other genre of music. If all songs could harness such hopeless abandon, the world would be at peace. Fuck math rock guys and gals, you don't need it. 

Words by James Kitchen