OrsonCulture VulturesReview

With Bright Idea, their platinum-selling debut, tucked smugly under their belts, Orson return with their own reassuringly safe sophomore outing, Culture Vultures.

The band reveal to critics on their MySpace page that Bright Idea was a pop joke we all just didn’t get. Orson have never made any attempt to be cool, stating that they made a point of sidestepping the indie vibe of The Strokes and White Stripes, in favour of their own brand of sensitive pop. So how are we to believe them when lead singer Jason Pebworth switches camps declaring, “This time I thought, Let’s not leave any doubt that we’re a rock band. This is a rock record”? Apparently we’ve all missed the fact that “The reality is that we’ve been a loud, dirty rock band with noisy guitars and heavy drums for eight years now.”

Yes, there are guitars and drums on Culture Vultures, but that doesn’t make it a rock record. From the album’s opening "Radio", what the band deliver is in fact an accomplished, hook-heavy, guitar-driven set of uplifting pop songs.

Orson find themselves stars in an ageist industry, and, perhaps a little too aware of this, have almost regressed in their song-writing subjects… to the point where they could be handed over to McFly. Reminiscing about when they were ‘crazier’ on "Radio", it’s all about attempting to sound like teenagers sneaking backstage: ‘We’d stay out all night to see our favourite band/hanging out backstage was like the holy land’.

Bagging themselves the Best International Breakthrough Award at this years Brits, Orson have moved to the UK and recorded the album in West London’s Townhouse Studios with Bright Idea producer, Noah Shain. Such a bond they have with dear old Blighty, they have even dedicated, "Northern Girl" to all the lasses they met whilst on tour in England, spinning the tale of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks.

In truth, Shain has earned his fee. The producer has obviously been beavering behind the desk to sex up this really quite ordinary album. It’s far from the most imaginative work ever, and leaves the personality of Bright Idea unchallenged. But if you liked their debut, you’ll like this. Then again, the music world is a fickle one...