The Orchid Highway is one of Vancouver's longest-running bands, and their dogged die-hard attitude is more than justified by the quality of the music they write. Trousers-deep in a rapturously ongoing obsession with mid-60s Britpop and psychedelia, the ten songs on their self-titled debut (stunningly recorded in lush psycho-stereo by engineering wizard Steven Drake at Greenhouse Studios) contain imaginatively melodic arrangements that would knock Brian Wilson out of his housecoat and on his fat ass in his piano-equipped sandbox (and ressurect poor old Syd Barrett from the acid-casualty dead while they were at it). Songs like "Sofa Surfer Girl" (one of OH's live favorites; haven't we all met a sofa-surfer girl at one time or another?) are fine examples of the clever tongue-in-cheek lyrics of the Macdonald brothers Rory (bass, vocals) and Jamie (guitar, vocals), fleshed out by the powerfully superb instrumental hammerings and fully-fleshed vocals harmonies of their fraternal wingman Derek Macdonald (keyboards), drummer Adrian Buckley, and the guitar fracas of John Woods (whose vacancy on the Highway has been taken by the equally-talented Scott Perry, who it must be noted is a strong addition rather than a convenient replacement). The Orchid Highway finally have a strong record to be forever proud of. Now all they need is to parachute this record by the thousandfold into the hearts and minds and ears and stereos of the nation's vast power-pop audience. Vancouver needs a Sloan of its West Coast own, and with this record, we now have one. Finally the wait is over for one of the best Pop albums ever recorded in Vancouver , or anywhere in recent memory for that matter. I've been airing Ochid Highway's music on my Radio Bandcouver show (Thursdays 2:30-4pm, CFRO 102.7 FM) since 1997, when their ''Fourplay'' EP first came. I'm much relieved to hear an album of this caliber is finally out there for more people to enjoy and savour.
Take this grand, technicolor, psychedelic, rock and roll dragster out for a spin and witness a trip that will give you a mind-bobbling high few acts can reach! From the opening track ,''Sofa Surfer Girl'', to the closer, ''Legion Hall'', the Orchid Highway's long-awaited album isn't afraid to show its true, 1960's colors. Trends be damned. If you can't dig this beguiling musical bliss, you must truely hate music! Looping bass, tactfully placed keyboards, chiming 12 string guitar, tasteful blues riffs, trippy,echo-drenched fretplay, addictive melodies, wonderful chord progressions, playful lyrics, delightful harmonies, impressive musicianship and the kind of highly musical songcraft that can bring this world out of its uninspired, musical duldrums! Check out the guitar interplay on ''The Next World'', the dreamy, sunny charm of ''Let's Stay in Instead'', the hilarious, tricky rythumic enegry of ''Ballad On Plain E'', the blusey smoothness of ''Opiate'', the Stones riff meets Hollies vocal blend of ''Pop Tart Girl'', the intense majesty of ''Tea With Shandra'',the hopeful ambition of ''Time For a Change'' and the blissful, drunken escapade of ''Legion Hall''!
An all encompassing, uninhibited testament of what Pop music CAN be when it isn't being held hostage! A masterpiece with few equals!
Mark Bignell
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