Mock Orange

Nines and Sixes (Lobster)
by Tim Den

It’s the little things that hurt the most. Little things that your girlfriend says about you, little annoying things your roommate does, little noises that keep you awake while you’re desperately trying to sleep. Such is the case with Mock Orange: a little band from a little town (Evansville, IN) on a little label… yet so powerful it hurts. My words cannot (and would never be able to) express the sheer pain I experienced when I first listened to this. I was literally lifted out of my chair by the overwhelming pleasure. This band is, by far, the best new thing I’ve heard in a long time. Their songs are so flawless, so out-of-this-world brilliant, that the only way I can describe them is “painful.” Painful meaning “how come I can’t write songs like these? How come stuff like this can come out of nowheresville, Indiana? What the hell am I doing with my life?” It hurts me to even attempt an analysis of their sound. All I can really say is that there is not one bad note, not one bad riff, not one bad melody line, not one bad arrangement, and not one bad song on this album. Nope, not a single moment falling below “excellent.” Scary. Tagging them as “emo” or “emocore” would be an insult, so I’ve decided to just call them “angelic.” Two guitars, one bass, one drumset, three vocals, all soaring in and out of their own particular routine… yet so magically interwoven. Never predictable, never cliché, never sounding anything but unique. Arrangements and melodies so beautiful, you’d think they’re godsent. The heavens above have seen the saturating music scene on Earth, and answered it with Mock Orange. Prepare to be moved…
(PO Box 1473 Santa Barbara, CA 93102)