The Orange Peels

So Far (SpinArt)
by Tim Den

I’ve never had a record paint such a visual for me before. The Orange Peels, like the description they give their recording studio in the liner notes, sound like “the casual, sophisticated mystique of California… the idealism and cosmopolitan style of mid-century America.” Saying these guys sound like The Beach Boys wouldn’t even do them justice; they sound like the West Coast. The entire side of the continent at its most glorious: sand, surf, sun, open spaces… an era when black and white television and bopping heads reigned supreme. Fuck, this record makes me want to move to Malibu. I can almost feel the breeze now… crisp Rickenbacher-through-Orange-amps guitar tone, jazzy harmonies… this is like taking a dip in the Pacific. The first four songs (“Back in San Francisco,” “So Far,” “You’re So Clever,” and “Mazatlan/Shining Bright”) are enough to convince any hardheaded East Coaster (like myself) that it’s possible to fall in love with the West Coast. I’ve got a beautiful, optimistic painting in my head of a life lived in the sun, people skating down the boardwalk, and a world so dreamy it can only exist in the movies. Ah, California: if you really feel like The Orange Peels, then I’m packing my bags.
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