The Orwells’ Who Needs You, a follow-up to their Other Voices EP which they released earlier this year, is barely 12 minutes long. It’s a very, very fun 12 minutes and wholly deserving of a track-by-track analysis.
1. Who Needs You
This song! Seriously, this song. From the solitary few drumbeats that kick it off to the simple repeating guitar riff that carries us through the single to the concluding build, “Who Needs You” is a display of The Orwells’ scrappy and anthemic character. Mario Cuomo consistently delivers these emotional punches with his voice on this track that are so pointed and dynamic that they could very well make you forget that you’re not the 16 year old punk you once were (unless, of course, you still are in which case he’ll make you just feel like yourself). Structurally, the song lacks a traditional “chorus” in the sense that the vocals follow the same line. There is, however, an instrumental chorus of sorts that interjects a brief breakdown before the reintroduction of the aggressively boyish, yet tactfully rebellious, lyrics (“You better pass the flask / You better join the army / I said: no thank you dear old Uncle Sam).
2. Open Your Eyes (A Misfits Rip-off)
The title of this song is one of the many reasons why The Orwells are great. Okay, the first part isn’t so exciting but what’s in the parenthesis is just so accurate and self-aware that it’s hard not to adore this song, even if it would just be easier to listen to the Misfits. “Open Your Eyes” lacks the clarity and slight pop (a word I’m using lightly and kind of synonymously with catchy here) that “Who Needs You” does but characteristically picks up exactly where the former tracks left off. Production-wise, all parts are equal in this track. There might not be any distinguishing lead or individual driving force; instead, in the just over two minutes that are this song the band plays energetically ensemble.
3. Salvation is a Parking Lot (A Black Lips Rip-off)
“Salvation is a Parking Lot” pays slightly less homage to its parenthetical shout out than “Open Your Eyes,” but now that they mention it, this song is a bit like the Black Lips but probably just in the sense that the Black Lips play simple and occasionally amusing punk tracks. There’s nothing particularly distinctive about this track; it’s loud and energetic and all of the words that are used to describe the Orwells can be used to describe this song. That said, “really awesome” can generally be used to describe the Orwells and that can probably be said about this song, as well.
4. Halloween All Year
When not “ripping off” anyone particularly, the Orwells make some unique tracks and this song is definitely one of them. While carefully not shredding their defined character, “Halloween All Year” trudges slightly more than other tracks, but in an intentional and thoughtful way. There’s more structural integrity to this track than others in the band’s repertoire; the pleasure we can glean from it can’t be simply blamed on youth or energy. There are intricate musical plays going on here and conclude the EP with an unanticipated maturity.
