Since their formation in the late '90s,
the Orange Peels
have been good for an album's worth of excellent sophisticated pop every few years. As the years have crept along, the group has expanded their way of working to bring in new influences such as prog-rock and synth pop as their sound has grown larger and more orchestrated. 2021's
Celebrate the Moments of Your Life
feels like a culmination of everything they've been working toward. It sounds huge as cavernous drums pair up with cascading synths, billowing vocal harmonies swoop gracefully around
Allen Clapp
's powerful vocals, and the arrangements have a majestic grace that previous records have come close to but never hit quite as far out of the park. The double album deals with tragedy, the uncertainties of modern life, and ultimately finding the strength to carry on and do what the title recommends. The lyrics are racked with grief and pain, the songs can be sadder than heartbreak, and minor keys carry the day, yet the album feels oddly uplifting by the end. Put that down to the wonderful melodies
Clapp
and co. have come up with as well as the skill they exhibit in all aspects of the recording process. Not only do the arrangements feel like they were put together by
Jimmy Webb
on a good day, the actual sound of the album is amazingly crisp and clear despite all the layering and reverb. Another thing that keeps the album from ever falling into a morose rut are the wide range of styles the group take on. They stick the landing on the kinds of mid-tempo ballads (the soaring "Thank You") and rollicking indie pop ("Magical Thinking," "Mindego Hill") they have always been so good at -- all with the production values cranked up a notch, though. They also delve into synth-heavy, almost new age sounds on a few tracks, play around with dissonance and art rock, balance electronics with string sections, and generally give an A+ effort all around. It's hard to separate any tracks from the whole, since it's such a fully developed listening experience. That said, a couple of songs do stand out as examples of just how perfect the band's approach is here. "Pastels" is an epic-length prog-pop song that features
singing deeply personal lyrics as the guitars jangle and crunch, the keyboards surround the melody like a cloud, and the whole thing sounds like a lost classic from 1987 that never was. "Give My Regards to Rufus" is another beautiful song that adds melancholy strings, a driving beat, and heart-rending lyrics delivered with restrained soul by
. It's clear that circumstance and experience have combined with
's enduring songwriting genius and the band's subtle power to create something truly magical. Sad and sweet, gripping and lovely,
is
' masterpiece, which is saying plenty thanks to all the high-quality albums they have made over their long and impressive career. ~ Tim Sendra