Come on, kick it with Josh Orange's fifth LP Birds for the Bayou

Twenty years on and Sydney's Josh Orange are still on top of it, releasing on June 28 their fifth full-length posed to stand the test of time. Birds for the Bayou, available on Open Road Sounds, has since garnered significant acclaim and radio airplay, with the title track soaring on the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project's Top 10 singles chart for four consecutive weeks.

The 11-track effort comes three years after Midnight Lights, but while it's carried over Josh Orange's time-honored folk-tinged pop rock flair, it feels like stepping aside (not back) to form a better understanding of what one may have become or where they may have gone. Irish frontman Gordon Burke describes it as the group's most seminal record, and listening to it easily tells fans why.

The album opens with "Birds for the Bayou", the lead track that begins with a field recording of birds in the bayou before diving into lyrics that lament the distractions of noise brought about by chasing the mainstream—probably from a performing musician's point of view, quite literally. "Take me out into the still water / I wanna hear the birds in the bayou singing / There's nothing that cuts me down on the mainstream/ I wasn't raised on dollar bill," Burke sings.

"What Have We Become" follows with a relentless drive, capturing the determination and resilience of facing life's endless challenges. The third track, "Wide Awake", offers a hopeful contrast, its uplifting melody and lyrics embracing the joy of newfound love and the promise of new beginnings. "So come on, love / Come on and rise above / Into the open arms / Of someone you love / I don't know / I ain't been here before / But I can feel it, babe / And I feel so sure / And I'm wide awake."

Moving into the middle of the album, "No Place Like Home" stands out with its piano-led, somber tone. The haunting melody and introspective lyrics explore themes of fear and comfort, asking whether the familiar wind outside one's door brings solace or unease. "Another Lost Soul" continues this introspective journey, contemplating the uncertainties of life's path and the quest for fulfillment. The darker "Devil at the Backdoor" tackles inner demons and the struggle for redemption, with evocative lyrics painting a vivid picture of temptation and resistance.

In "Waiting to Fall – Better Man", Burke delves into self-improvement and the struggles of daily life. The song's introspective lyrics and soulful melody resonate with anyone striving to become a better version of themselves. "Easy on Me" then follows with a plea for patience and understanding, its gentle rhythm and lyrics like, "Looking for the answer in someone else's hands / Dream about the future while the past still takes command," underscore the complexity of balancing past regrets and future hopes.

As the album draws to a close, "Candy Girl" injects a dose of optimism with its encouraging message. "Take all your troubles / Lay them down at your feet / Can't turn away from them / But don't let them hold you back," sings Burke, encouraging one to face troubles head-on without letting them hinder progress. "Rolling Over in the Dark" reflects on past joys and present pains, in which the singer empathetically voices, "I'll go back to the start / To when I felt joy down in this heart / Oh, do you feel the same? / Or am I alone down here carrying this pain?" All of Birds for the Bayou has at this point been a great listen, but the closing track makes it all the more a job well done. "I Feel Alive – Kick It", the most upbeat of 11 tracks, leaves listeners on an energetic high, celebrating the invigorating rush of feeling truly alive.

Surely more praises are to be said of this newest material from Josh Orange, and no doubt each of these is well-deserved by the four-piece. Birds for the Bayou is arguably their most coherent work yet and has set a new benchmark for a sound wholly their own.

Fans in Ireland can catch Josh Orange performing these new tracks live at Dublin's iconic venue, Whelans, on August 7, 2024. Come on, kick it and stream the album below.

Sam Corrazza

Sam is a mediocre artist, musician, and the founder and editor in chief of UNXIGNED. He is a Juris Doctor who leads an excitingly boring life in the confines of his room juggling studies with passion and dreams. He is terrible at finding balance but gets by anyhow. He wants you to follow his artist pages and channels for when he decides to up his game. Pretty open for collabs and will mix your would-be hit song for cheap.