Sunday, July 12, 2020

Orange Helicopter - s/t (2001)

It's harder to start off an album with a bigger bang than "Arsenic Bubblegum," a tune which beckons Cheap Trick's punky 1977 clarion call 'Elo Kiddies" to such an extent it's hard not to regard it as gloriously plagiaristic...but who in their right mind would complain?  Orange Helicopter hover their collective chopper over the environs of power pop like there's no damn tomorrow, and they do so with LOUD, hook-filled abandon.  From the sound of it, this quartet had their ears affixed to combos like Enuff Z'nuff and Jellyfish as well.  Aside from "Arsenic" there aren't a ton of outright revelations, but quality control was a calling card for O/H, and they would have fit in like a glove on the sadly defunct Not Lame Records imprint.  And yes, "Jet" is the Paul McCartney and Wings mainstay, done to very enthusiastic effect at that.

01. Arsenic Bubblegum
02. Strawberry
03. Take it All
04. Majestic Black Rainbow
05. Help!
06. Summer Song
07. Jet
08. Falling Star Potion
09. Coming Around
10. One Step Closer
11. Movies

Hear

4 comments:

binkerbo said...

Really nice disc!

Jim H. said...

not bad! many thanks!!!

DLBKCMO said...

Do we know if this was their only recorded output? it's really wonderful!

JKR said...

This was a musical project headed by Joey C. Jones and Dave Crow. While this was a one-off project, Crow went on to form amazing power pop band, Cherry Blossom Clinic. He later formed Uncle Dave's Rock Service and The Ju Ju Beans, all of which bear that same crunchy Cheap Trick hard pop sound. Check 'em out.