If you’ve never heard of this group than the name will definitely make you scratch your head. If you are intrigued enough to want to listen to them then you are making the right decision. Originally when I heard emotional oranges I thought that they were alternative music. Alternative music is something that has grown on me in the past couple of years. Throughout high-school I listened to a handful of alternative music and I never really gave it a chance because I didn’t understand the meaning. To this day I’m still not sure what alternative music means but I have learned to not be afraid to dig in different categories and search. I’m talking about artists like Nao, or maybe Yuna could be considered alternative even JMSN. With that I’ve unlocked a whole genre of dope music and have been searching for. Although they are under the R&B/Soul genre I can hear some alternative tendencies in their music.
You’re probably wondering where I heard of a band with this name. For that look no further than the Joe Budden Podcast. In their sleeper segment they played this band and ever since I’ve been waiting for their project that just arrived. This is actually their only album so we don’t have a reference point to begin with except songs they’ve dropped. They are originally out of Los Angeles California…. And that’s basically all we know about them. They are very secretive about their appearance and I still am not quite sure what they look like. It’s reminiscent of when H.E.R. first popped on the scene and just took over everything. They have this mysterious edge about them and made them well known by being unknown and landed them on tour.
ALBUM REVIEW
From the first sounds of this album it puts you in a trance, almost like you’re walking into a club like in the movies. Track 1 gives us a groovy baseline almost as if we’re in a modern day discotheque club and are just dancing without a care in the world. The duo do a great job of making going back and forth and not overpowering one another on the project but blend together properly. Track 2 is more of a mellow track where they let the beat do the work and come on the track complimenting it and adding their vocals where it’s needed. This is a great example of knowing how to work the track and make magic happen. “Hold you back” continues with a more poppy type of sound and is a more laid back track for sure. Track 3 is a post breakup song where you don’t want the person in your life anymore and all the love is gone between the two parties. We get back in the groove of things with Track 4. It has a bass rhythm that is catchy af and makes you wish you could hear it all night. The song depicts a person in search of something, or someone to fill a void that is there. So one could only imagine a drug induced person roaming looking and looking for that thing they don’t even know exists and is down with everything.
Arguably the slowest track on the album “Good To Me” is a relationship song. Track 5 starts off with a piano that has been altered for the purpose of this record and softer vocals than heard throughout the whole album. The song details a person missing their former significant other and wants to be with them in the moment. Track 6 is a more Hip Hop sounding track. The drums hit first almost like it’s Questlove on it and he’s jamming with the group. It is different from the other tracks but they tame it enough to keep it in the realm of Alternative R&B music. The Emotional Oranges just love their baselines as they use one to open the song. The first thing we hear on Track 7 is a riff of the bass playing. The title is a statement which will make you take a double take but the song itself shouldn’t. There’s a lot of relationship based songs on this short project but the beats set the mood properly to be able to make songs with content like that. Track 8 is definitely a somber track at the beginning. Although I wish it picked up in the middle or near the end it’s still a fine track. I’m just so used to a huge ending to a song that I’m a little underwhelmed but still very much pleased with the project as a whole.
SCORE
STANDOUT TRACKS
- ★ “MOTION”
- “PERSONAL”
- “SOMEONE ELSE”
RATING — 8.0/10
This is a great debut album for such a new group and they have made an impact so quickly. They have a lot of momentum right now and should keep it up by releasing music after they are done touring.
