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Brush
Away the Cobwebs
Artist: Ronald of Orange
Label: Velvet Blue Music
Time: 5 tracks/16:41 minutes
Ronnie Martin is easily one of the most prolific musicians in music today. Along with his main project Joy Electric, which releases at least one full-length and one EP every year, he also has numerous side projects, both solo and collaborative efforts. In the past year alone he has been involved with two records and two EPs! What’s more impressive than his multitude of releases is the consistent high quality of each release, and Ronnie’s undying devotion to vintage mono synthesizers, with which he records all or most of the musical sounds on each of his releases.
Ronald of Orange is Ronnie’s latest solo side project, though his brother Jason of Starflyer 59 fame provides guitar on the title track. The music is best described as sunny 60’s pop, with obvious new wave and electro influences. In general, it forsakes the moody qualities of recent Joy , focusing on the lighter sounds of Melody era Joy E, but with guitars thrown in for variety and good measure.
The title track is a perfect pop song, albeit quirky and experimental pop, but pop nonetheless. Its melody will get stuck in your head for days. Ronnie’s vocals are surprisingly up front, and some of the strongest of his career. This particular song sets this EP apart from Joy E in both sound and instrumentation. None of the other tracks live up to it, and in general sound more like Joy E than they do something new. That’s not to say they are bad, Ronnie has been crafting excellent pop tunes for two decades now and these live up to his legacy; they are just not as satisfying as “Brush Away the Cobwebs.”
Most of Ronnie’s side projects never make it past one release. It would be a shame if this is the only Ronald of Orange release, I hope for a full length with more songs like “Brush Away the Cobwebs.” But until then I can rest assured that Ronnie Martin’s next release won’t be too far away, no matter what name it is released under.
Noah Salo
http://shineisdead.wordpress.com
Artist: Ronald of Orange
Label: Velvet Blue Music
Time: 5 tracks/16:41 minutes
Ronnie Martin is easily one of the most prolific musicians in music today. Along with his main project Joy Electric, which releases at least one full-length and one EP every year, he also has numerous side projects, both solo and collaborative efforts. In the past year alone he has been involved with two records and two EPs! What’s more impressive than his multitude of releases is the consistent high quality of each release, and Ronnie’s undying devotion to vintage mono synthesizers, with which he records all or most of the musical sounds on each of his releases.
Ronald of Orange is Ronnie’s latest solo side project, though his brother Jason of Starflyer 59 fame provides guitar on the title track. The music is best described as sunny 60’s pop, with obvious new wave and electro influences. In general, it forsakes the moody qualities of recent Joy , focusing on the lighter sounds of Melody era Joy E, but with guitars thrown in for variety and good measure.
The title track is a perfect pop song, albeit quirky and experimental pop, but pop nonetheless. Its melody will get stuck in your head for days. Ronnie’s vocals are surprisingly up front, and some of the strongest of his career. This particular song sets this EP apart from Joy E in both sound and instrumentation. None of the other tracks live up to it, and in general sound more like Joy E than they do something new. That’s not to say they are bad, Ronnie has been crafting excellent pop tunes for two decades now and these live up to his legacy; they are just not as satisfying as “Brush Away the Cobwebs.”
Most of Ronnie’s side projects never make it past one release. It would be a shame if this is the only Ronald of Orange release, I hope for a full length with more songs like “Brush Away the Cobwebs.” But until then I can rest assured that Ronnie Martin’s next release won’t be too far away, no matter what name it is released under.
Noah Salo
http://shineisdead.wordpress.com
