The Orange Oven - "The Stormy Sky"
(self-released 2010)
The Orange Oven - "The Stormy Sky"
(self-released 2010)
From Aural Innovations #41 (October 2010)
With a blend of mutated 60's organ-based rock, early 70's Pink Floyd and a dash of snarling stoner rock thrown in for good measure, New York's The Orange Oven's debut, The Stormy Sky, careens wildly from the eerie to the sublime over the course of five songs.
Kicking off with a groovy, 60's inspired riff cut through with some acid drenched guitar lead, the opening cut, Upabove slips very easily, about two thirds of the way in, into a soaring song with a gorgeous melody that would not have been out of place on Pink Floyd's Meddle. From there, the band delves into meandering, mystical Middle Eastern explorations on the appropriately titled Egypt. The title track, The Stormy Sky is a menacing piece, with spooky organ and sinister vocals. Do You Like What You See is an effective slower piece, with lots of electric piano and spinning synths to add to the ubiquitous organ. The closing number, Iraqi Hashish, rocks with a complex swirl of crunching guitars and myriad keyboard sounds for the first third and final third, but morphs into the bastard love child of Careful With That Axe, Eugene and Saucerful of Secrets (to the point of nearly quoting the latter) in the middle. It's the most ambitious piece on the album, but also the piece that wears its influences on its sleeve the most.
All in all a pretty cool album if a little too Pink Floydy for its own good. It also struck me that the bass was a little low in the mix, giving it overall a slightly thin sound. But they're small points. Main man Carey Bernstein has some talent and a solid band to support him. He has an interesting vocal delivery that can be both soothing and unsettling. I'll look forward to hearing more from these guys in the future.
For more info, visit: http://www.myspace.com/theorangeoven
Reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald