The Orange Drop

          From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Orange Drop styles psychedelic acid-rock from the 60's with distinct overtones of 90's lo-fi garage rock.  Members Marc-Andre Basile (Vocals/Guitar), Anthony Bove (Drums), Matt Calhoun (Bass), Peter Stanko (Guitar), and Dave Johnson (Keys) come together to make their contribution to the growing umbrella genre of neo-psychedelia and have released their debut album (via their label Mega Dodo), Stoned In Love.  With all 9 tracks showing strong potential in the wider market with songs for a diverse audience, this group may just bring an underground type of music to the forefront of the rock community.

     The opening track, "Juniper Pearl", introduces us to their sound with a reverb-saturated, picked guitar chord progression, backed by acoustic accents.  As the song begins it first verse, light percussion joins the mix keeping the song steady with dynamic bass drum kicks and crash cymbals.  Basile's echoey vocals come in and transform the soundscape with ethereal overtones that complement the 90's-styled lyrics and tone.  A slightly dirty guitar comes in and accents the chords with a brief, smooth solo that transitions into the second verse.  The track fades out on a similar, yet more aggressive solo, punctuated by heavy drums fills and Basile calling out in the background.  This somber, yet ultimately hopeful track's pop sensibilities and old-school instrumentals make it a testament to the appeal of The Orange Drop to a number of various kinds of listeners.

          Another song of note on Stoned In Love is "If You Feel It".  Starting with a bluesy guitar riff simply backed by the tambourine, we see another side of this group.  The drum kicks in hard and Basile's vocals come in more aggressively this time, though still with a fair bit of echo.  A steady bass groove keeps the song moving along as it travels through its various parts.  A heavily fuzzed solo guitar marks this song with fast, blues-based licks that seal the track's status as decidedly upbeat.  With a different approach to bringing the sound of the 60's and 70's back that in "Juniper Pearl", namely its guitar-driven energy, this song shows off the versatility of the group.

          With strong vibes from the decades of yesteryears, as well as a strong pop sense with mass appeal to the market, I fully expect The Orange Drop to do well for themselves on a large scale.  Their interesting and marketable sound will serve them well and I look forward to their future releases.  Check them out on their BandCamp, their website, and their Facebook to stay updated and her their music.


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