Dan Hillier
After drumming up hype and anticipation over the years with a slew of brilliant EPs, the band dropped their fantastic LP debut Lovecore just as the world dropped off it’s axis 18 months ago. Instead of blasting off into the stratosphere, any and all promotional tours where immediately postponed, festival slots failed to materialise, and overall, the year that should have belonged to them became one to forget. So with that in consideration, it’s no real surprise that the band’s new EP Trust Issues is their most direct and outspoken offering to date.
Releasing November 26th via Big Scary Monsters, Trust Issues – like it’s moniker slyly implies – is Orchards’ most confrontational and direct body of work to date. Whilst a large portion of Lovecore’s lyrical contents served as musings on romantic misfires, mental health struggles and finding one’s place in a callous world, Trust Issue is the moment where Orchards drive their stake into the earth and demand a far more empathetic and inclusive world. Opener and leading single ‘Leave Us Here (We’re Fine)’ establishes this steadfast defiance immediately. Against the loose indie energy and tight math hooks the band have become renowned for, the band forgo the slight insecurities from their youth in favour of brazen conformation, with frontperson Lucy Evers adamantly ascertaining their position with empowering confidence. It’s a kickback, one against the world that’s wronged them and continues to wrong countless others that’s articulated with withheld rage.
‘Wrong Shoes’ continues this steadfast nature of determination. The track – which is complete with more math-orientated fretwork – is a choppy and flippant affair that’s driven with unapologetic intent, yet still zingy and irresistibly upbeat. In similar nature, ‘Drive Me Home’ stands as the band’s most radiant and incandescent track to date, with the song dispelling a sense of warmth that borders upon being exotic – but still it’s forefront and frank in it’s delivery. Even with Sam Rushton’s progressive guitar licks being ever present much like on Lovecore, maybe even more-so at times on tracks such as the aforementioned ‘Wrong Shoes’, Evans feels far more confident and assured on their vocal delivery on this record in comparison to Lovecore or the EP’s that came before it. This album is driven by their intent for change, both personally and in society, and overall results in their most confident and assured material yet. There’s even a subtle level of aggression to this intent, with ‘Bye, Insecurity’ seeing Evers casting out the mental blights explored within Lovecore against bladed fretwork that’s vaguely reminiscent to the hulking riffs to that surprising Lovecore closer ‘History’.
Despite all of this though, Trust Issues still see’s the band flexing their established skill in writing irresistible pop hooks. Much like the rest of their work, this EP is unequivocally upbeat, packed with free-spirited, vivid energy that takes form in snaring pop sensibilities and danceable left-field progression. However, whereas such traits soundtracked the band hoping for change in their personal life and society, Trust Issues see’s the band leaving passiveness behind and taking a direct and forceful hand in obtaining the change they are now demanding. This is a great EP, one that infuses Orchards’ already jubilant and excitable sound with more aggressive confidence, and as a result, will undoubtedly see the band firmly make 2022 their year after all.