Orange - The Complete Recordings (2016)

Formed in 1992, Orange were a band out of step with their times. In the wake of grunge's domination of the US marketplace, ethereal bands risked becoming obsolete. Some, like the Cranberries toughened up their sound and emulated the four-chord quiet/loud formula ('Zombie'). But when Orange, a San Francisco band on an LA indie, were faced with the choice between conformism or commercial death, they chose death. Which is a tragedy, because with their mix of Sundays and Cocteaus, delivered in a cinematic rush that was purely American. Orange's core members, singer Sonya Waters and guitaris. Michael Papenburg perfected an endless lugubrious swoon that evokes trembling leaves, inverted skies, and chronic hypnagogia. Hear how the melody of 'Seahorse' keeps ascending until it reaches the stars, or how 'Swim' keeps spiraling down until we look up and can no longer see sky. There's a cinematic quality to Orange's music that separates them from their peers, then transcends their influences. Sonya Waters sings in a language all her own. It's blissful & lilting, longing & lovely, part oracle and part myth. The Complete Recordings does exactly what it say there in the title, compiling the band's self-titled 1994 album along with some stray tracks, including a total reimagining of the Pixies' 'Gigantic' that aches instead of pounds, is lost instead of found.