2014 is the Year of The Orwells: A Review of Disgraceland

Chicago – I said it before, and I’ll say it again: 2014 is the year of The Orwells! Soon everyone and their mom will know who they are thanks to their sophomore album Disgraceland, with a plethora of influences from 90s rock to flower folk. Disgraceland is “new old school” and will no doubt expose another generation of kids to rock & roll. Nearly every track on Disgraceland is geared toward radio play, and the single “Who Needs You?” has been endlessly blasting around the U.S. since their infamous Letterman performance. For their debut major label release with Canvasback/Atlantic, The Orwells recruited some remarkable producers to fine-tune their music: Dave Sitek (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Chris Coady (Smith Westerns), and Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys).

Henry’s heavy drums break the album open on “Southern Comfort.” This song is emblematic of the album as a whole, as it will have you dancing and singing along. In the opener, the lead singer, Mario Cuomo, unleashes this growling sentiment: “Eyes on the prize / Eyes on her thighs / I’m not that old but I’m getting pretty wise.” At 20 years old, Mario and the rest of the band are just a year out of high school, but their musical maturity speaks for itself. The whole “I don’t give a fuck” attitude that comes with their age adds to the brilliance that is The Orwells – if you’ve seen these guys live, you know what I’m talking about – and amplifies their energy. And while songs like “Southern Comfort,” “Dirty Sheets,” and “Let It Burn” were written during their high school days, there are songs that expose a touch of emotional growth.

“Bathroom Tile Blues” reveals The Orwells’ softer side, leaving room for ladies to swoon. Lyrics like “I’m not the only man / don’t try to hold my hand / I need a lot of love in my life,” show that, despite his rock & roll edge, he’s still a softy when it comes down to it. Cuomo’s voice, eerily similar to Jim Morrison, evokes this feeling in songs like “The Righteous One” and “Gotta Get Down.”

It’s clear why “Who Needs You” has been rocking the airwaves for months. Between Henry’s frantic drumming, Grant’s bellowing bass, and Matt and Dominic’s tingling guitars, you can’t help but crank it up and get lost in this song. However, Mario’s near curdling calls beckon you to pay attention to their teenage angst and hit repeat. When they played their sold out Chicago show in April, Matt and Mario told meDisgraceland was meant to pay homage to the Midwest. It also signifies their last hurrah as teenagers before embarking into their treacherous twenties.

Here’s the thing about my fellow Windy City folks (and yeah, okay these guys live a western ‘burb just outside of Chicago, but the streets of Elmhurst are more akin to city life than the corn-growing parts of Illinois): we work hard, play even harder, and most importantly, we say what we mean and mean what we say. The Orwells stay true to that, living a rock & roll lifestyle and not giving much of a fuck about what others think. They probably don’t care about critics, just their fans and making good music. Fans are sure to love every minute of the phenomenal rock and roll on Disgraceland.

Disgraceland is set for release on June 3, 2014. The Orwells will be touring like crazy in the coming months: in Europe in June, playing Riot Fest in September, and hitting the road with Skaters in the fall. Check out their facebook page for more details.

(Photo credits: Jory Lee Cordy)

About
Latest Posts

Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.

You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.