It's unusual to find a band on a small label that tosses in cello, mandolin, harpsichord, banjo and accordion on top of the guitar/bass/drum axis. Actually, most major label bands don't do that. But I guess you're going to need the whole orchestra if you cover as much musical turf as The Irresponsibles do on Big Orange.
Starting off with a couple of fairly straight-ahead tracks, Big Orange twists and turns its way through country, bluegrass, funk, pop, and even an acoustic ballad with orchestration. I admire the ambition - the instrumentation is diverse and well placed, and the production is first-rate for an independent release. What I don't get from this record is any cohesion - no band identity, no continuity. While most of the record is pleasant, it's all over the map, which means some people may not find enough of what they like on it.
The kickoff track, "When The Sun's Out", is one of the record's strongest moments. Using echoes and floating background vocals, the music is equal parts 1960 and 1990, although the quirky lyrics ("Come home but the locks have been changed / My parents like me but they think I'm deranged...") betray the song's cheerful title. When the lyrics are a little clever or different, like these are, they can lift an ordinary song a notch higher. Most times, the Irresponsibles are leaning on their music, and songs like "Weight Of The Universe" fall flat.
Three other recommended songs are "Love Freedom", "By The Way" and "Walk With Me", which are all written or co-written by Dominic Laudani. He doesn't appear to be a permanent member of the group; I suggest the Irresponsibles keep his number handy. Also fun is the banjo-driven "Barking At Airplanes", a song Ben Vaughn would love.
Diversity can be a great thing or a sign of a band pulled in too many directions. There's good talent here, so it will be interesting to see what happens during the Irresponsibles' next chapter.
