Our Orthodox is the project of 26 year old Pacific Northwest born (L.A. native for 3 years), Neal Harris. He just released his first album, which is a self titled effort. It’s really easy to try and compare Neal to other artists. The obvious choice is Okkervil River. Then you can go from Neutral Milk Hotel, Josh Ritter, Conor Oberst, and Drive-By Truckers. No matter how you look at it, these are all great artists to garner comparisons to. I think fans of all of those artists would adore the magic coming out of Mr. Harris. The irony in the Okkervil River comparisons is that William Schaff who has designed Okkervil River albums in the past, was responsible for Our Orthodox’s album artwork. Go figure!
Our Orthodox brings real music back to the table. Neal’s lyrical content is the meat and bones of his songs, creating imagery that will sting the mind. He gets to the point, and it’s ultimately very effective.
The album is only 7 songs long, and it plays as a perfect introduction to this young mans career. I am very impressed with this little debut, and I don’t see why you won’t like it either. This is music in its purest form. Whats there not to love?
I want to personally share with you two songs from the album: “O Brother” & “My Records”:
[mp3]: Our Orthodox – O Brother
[mp3]: Our Orthodox – My Records
You can stream the entire album at his site, and its only $5 if you like it enough to buy it.
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