SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: OPUS ORANGE – OBJECT LESSONS

Opus Orange
Object Lessons
Emoto Music

Opus Orange is one Paul Bessenbacher and the ‘indie-rock’ Santa Monica, CA collective gathered around his ideas.

That indie-rock categorization these days is usually something that denotes anything and everything that has vocals, a guitar and rhythm section included. The quality seems not to be essential. Fortunately, there’s certainly quality on Object Lessons, an aptly-titled album that is actually an object lesson itself in how to create good music that you want to label as indie-rock.

The key there lies in the fact that Bessenbacher is an excellent songwriter, which should not come as a surprise as his work was featured in various films and TV series, including the likes of Grey’s Anatomy. The fact that he is a classically trained composer certainly helps.

Yet classics is not what serves as Bessenbacher’s inspiration here. Actually, he is resuscitating new life into the best aspects of that ’90s sound when the term indie rock actually acquired the meaning it has today. Think in terms of best works by Modest Mouse, Death Cab For Cutie, gentler moments of My Morning Jacket. You can add a few more there if you wish, but Opus Orange definitely have their own take on that whole sound and Object Lessons certainly confirm that.

Artist Links