It would be very easy of me to launch into one of those anti-emo tirades that I seem to write about every time I review a band like Orion, but this time I’ll give it a miss. Yes, they’re from Long Island, yes they sound like Taking Back Sunday and Thursday and yes it’s all been heard before. Orion even have a former member with the surname Lazzara (although I’m not sure if he’s a relation to Adam…), so it’s obvious where this review will be going. Truth be told, ‘The Sound and the Fury’ is pretty good, although wholly unoriginal.
Released on New Jersey label Hot Foot records, Orion do sound like many of their peers – who of course grew up playing the very same hometown venues. Jay Schombs has a strong and distinctive voice that comes across like Geoff Rickley quite a lot, so I don’t suppose that helps the inevitable comparisons on songs like ‘This Is`the Confesion’ and ‘Burial At sea’.
With similar song structures and ideas, where Orion fall down is the fact their tunes just aren’t as catchy as those bands who have gone on to sign to major labels and sell a million. The ideas are there, although plagarised, and each of the five tracks is performed with conviction. They are better than most bands of this ilk, but don’t stand out enough for me to make a massive worldwide impact. ‘The Faux Factor’ is as good as anything bands like June have produced, so maybe Orion will be ones for the future – but on the basis of ‘The Sound and the Fury’ I can’t see them making that many waves.
www.myspace.com/orionlongisland
Hotfoot Records
Paul