Text by Joe K.
It’s 7AM on a gray, rainy, morning and I have some serious jet lag. It’s the perfect time to review an album. I’m not talking about just any album, but a completely random one that I found after five minutes of trolling the interwebs. And the winner is…
Origami Sun, and their 2014 release, “More Songs About Insects And Fruits”.
I was drawn to the simplistic pencil drawing on the cover that seemed to compliment the dreariness outside my window.
According to their Bandcamp page, Andhi O’Neill, Mathew Pop, Ryan Loizzo, and April Browne sporadically recorded the majority of the album in Port Chester, NY throughout the winter of 2013-2014. I’ve never been to Port Chester, but if this place is anything like Port Jefferson, NY, then we are in for an old fashioned hoedown (or hootenanny or whatever redneck verbiage you prefer).
“Pineapple” starts things off nicely with a tambourine/banjo/ukulele trifecta and Beatles-esque style harmonies. It lays the foundation for Origami Sun’s slightly off-kilter pop folk experience.
Moving into the album, songs like “Nectarine” and “Mangoes” further exemplify the low-fi, weird folk pop and come complete with seemingly nonsensical lyrics about living within fruit and laundromats on East 53rd St. They especially help their cause on “Mangoes” when they drop an awesome Casio keyboard beat.
Many of the songs paint a wonderful, playful landscape (“Honeymoon Sweet”, “Prettier”) that is quite comforting for a rainy day. Even when the lyrics enter into a darker, more introspective space (“The Anthropologist”, “Not Wake Up”),the feel is still reminiscent of running through a jungle gym back in the day (ah, good times).
Even in my jet lagged state, I recognize that the melodies, coupled with O’Neill and Pop’s harmonizing, are Oragami Sun’s strong suit. They particularly shine on “Hear Me Sleep”, “Pineapple”, “Nectarine”, “Prettier”…I might as well just list the entire album at this point, they pretty much nailed it.
With its very mellow instrumentation, “More Songs About Insects And Fruits” is perfect for that late summer night (preparing for the inevitable hangover) rap session.
Yes, folks, we got ourselves a winner!
“More Songs About Insects And Fruits” is the epitome of do-it-yourself music. I’m almost overwhelmed reading the list of instruments that Origami Sun used on these 13 tracks (who doesn’t love seed rattles!) plus, l I defy anyone to say that they do not enjoy the awesomeness of a kazoo solo!
Tonight at Dawn 