Look Both Ways - OrangeG

 Folks, I've been trying to be better about not letting so many days go by before doing another post, and you guys certainly have been helping me stay on top of things with all the requests you've been sending. The support is greatly and sincerely appreciated, and I do hope that they keep coming in the upcoming new year. Tonight I have the honor and pleasure of discussing the newest single "Look Both Ways" by Philadelphia's own one-person DIY musician OrangeG.

On this new single, OrangeG takes a departure in technique and sound from his previous recordings, as he is now working with a more full-band sound. And as a result, he found himself with an intriguing fusion of folk, grunge, and the blues. And being totally honest, maybe I've said this before and maybe I haven't, but I truly hate grunge. That said, the blues is one of my favorite genres, and the fusion here works actually quite tremendously. And it's capped off brilliantly with the featured use of a harmonica. In fact, the harmonica feature is my favorite element of the entire track.

There's something poetic about him using grunge and blues to deliver his message here. The message of the song, as OrangeG would describe it, is about assuming the worst, and reminding oneself to consider a more positive perspective. So he is putting a positive spin on an otherwise bleak topic, yet he does so while employing a bluesy grunge sound, which are arguably two of the most somber and melancholy genres out there. Looking at the lyrics, OrangeG's songwriting becomes even more poetic. His metaphors and verses are truly quite wonderful. This is something seldom seen in songwriting today, as many rock vocalists deliver lines that are totally straight and to the point, (see Sammy Hagar) and they are forgetting that lyrics are essentially an edgier poem, with rhythm (see David Lee Roth.) A line I am particularly fond of would be... Look both ways at your fellow human / The Gorgon's gaze, or nothing much to say / It cuts both ways and I see one edge of the blade These lines create a tragically familiar feeling, something I can relate to from my college days of being the new kid at a party, not knowing anyone and being afraid to really be yourself because you're unsure of how people would react. On one hand, you should never be afraid to be yourself. But on the other hand, people suck, don't they?

My biggest drawback with this song, is that while it does have all the components of a full song, it still feels incomplete in a way. It sits at just over 5 and a half minutes, and for those 5.5 minutes the vocals stick to one pattern, and there's not much variance to them. I like my meat and potatoes with a little kick, if you know what I mean. But again, for a grunge-blues track I can forgive this. OrangeG has found himself a fantastic musical path to follow, but maybe he could consider picking up a little more speed and edge along the way. I would love to hear a song of this tone with a higher tempo and a squealing guitar/harmonica solo thrown in there. There's my Christmas wish, OrangeG, can you make it happen?

To sum up, I did enjoy this song, and the direction that OrangeG is going in. There are a lot of things that were executed quite well here, and other things that I think could be added in later on to really perfect his new sound. Kudos on the new single, OrangeG, I look forward to hearing what comes next.