When Orson raced to number one earlier this year, somebody somewhere must have got the sack. Prior to their ‘No Tomorrow’ single topping the charts and becoming the most downloaded song of all time on iTunes, the Californians were passed over by almost every A&R department in the US.
Listening to their Bright Idea debut, such rejection is even harder to fathom. Signed to UK based Mercury Records, Bright Idea is (ironically) an A&R scout’s wet dream with the obscenely catchy ‘No Tomorrow’ a perfect indicator of the feast of hooks and radio friendly melodies that lie in wait.
Laced with potential hits, it draws hugely on the guitar funk of New Radicals and The Rolling Stones, while being infused with influences as diverse as ska, disco and Broadway musical.
The album’s title track starts the record in laid-back and lazy fashion before opening out into a memorable chorus. It paves the way for ‘No Tomorrow’ before ‘Happiness’ blends Barry White funk, cheesy stadium rock and a by now trademark memorable chorus.
Soft rock tendencies pervade, though Orson are never irritating in the manner of, say, Maroon 5 and frequently such forays are countered. When they ‘borrow’, they do so with some style, with frontman Jason Pebworth diving into his Broadway past to liberally steal melodies from Andrew Lloyd Webber, such as on ‘So Ahead Of Me’ – a cheeky take from The Phantom of The Opera.
In all, Bright Idea makes for a near perfect mainstream pop rock record, as radio friendly for the masses as it is interesting for the discerning music fan.