Upcoming in Devizes; Nothing Rhymes With Orange’s Debut EP

The younger they are the more tempting it is to excessively praise, despite honest constructive criticism being far more helpful than flattery. So, I press play on these three tracks which make up the debut EP from Devizes-based teenage indie-pop band, Nothing Rhymes With Orange, with the intention of deliberately finding a possible downgrade or two, to convince you it’s not the case here, which is not as easy as it sounds……

It’s not even near beginners’ luck, that which we fondly reviewed their first single from the EP, Chow For Now, in October, and if I went in blind, I’ve a better perspective of where they’re coming from now, and predict very soon everyone will, least should.

The fact they’re releasing an EP called Midsummer bang central in autumn is the only bombast in me. This is unconditionally distinction-type stuff, the like I’d have said of a band of ten plus years of professional experience under their belts. Far from the odious din of antagonism and rage of many a youthful punk-pop experiment, which isn’t my preferred cuppa, this is universally age demographic spanning, appealing to all.

If they cite their inspirations from The Wombats, Smashing Pumpkins and Arctic Monkeys, my elderly soul picks out early Jam, and a plethora of bands from that late seventies, early eighties era. Mind, they also cite The Cure; I’m happy with that compromise, though suggest it’s never as gloomy as goth. Look at the picture, they bounce; Robert Smith never bounced!

Reason being it ticks every box is it’s shrewdly written with original angles on themes of fledgling passion and relationships, yet it’s lively, happy, beguiling, and danceable, and, concluding with a cliche word I don’t like to overuse but find myself in a position no better than to define it as “catchy.”

Recorded at The Badger Set Studios in Potterne and released this Friday, 4^th November, if Chow For Now rides a degree of optimism in the despair of a relationship breakup, Creatures is equally as expectantly ingenious and dynamic, commenting on a larger picture of teenage delinquency, reminding me somewhat of Supergrass’ Alright, yet with far more punch. This one is simply anthemic, picture future fans singing back to them, perhaps even more than Chow. But while Manipulation reduces the tempo, proving the boys can execute the obligatory melancholic superlatively too, though subtly, the wordplay steps up another notch. Example; “you make manipulation seem like a lullaby, go get your education, I’m not your type of guy,” just, yeah, works.

You can pick these tunes apart and if the characters in Creatures, suggest they think they’re “cool because they don’t listen to the teachers,” I really hope your English teachers are listening to you, guys, for this is quality badinage, astutely written pop. To retort on my mockery of the EP’s name unfortunately inconsistent to the current season, these tracks were put down during the summer, in a barn in rural Wiltshire. Country schoolkids, huh? Typical, nothing better to do than hang around barns, picking up guitars and drums, practising like hell, precisely promoting, and marketing their outpourings, and coming out with this monstrously superb sound to upstage the best of our local scene, you should be ashamed of yourselves!

The original four-piece line up consists of frontman Elijah Easton on guitar, with the apt strain of adolescent sincerity in his vocals, Fin Anderson-Farquhar, also on guitar, and drummer Lui Venables, with bassist Ivor Ritson who since moved on to be replaced by Sam Briggs. Fast creating a loyal fanbase after reaching the finals of Riverbank Chippenham’s Take the Stage, they’ve managed their own sell out gig, and supported upcoming Carsick at Trowbridge’s Pump. I suggest you do yourself a favour, young and old, pre-save this EP here, ready for Friday, and keep a keen eye on these lads. They’re playing a Freaky Friday at St James Vaults in Bath, Friday 11 ^th November, with Chasing Kites supporting Harmer Jays. I’m sorry not to be able to make it but urge local promoters to get these guys booked.