Los Angeles' Orson join the long list of American bands (Blondie, Scissor Sisters, The Killers) who have made it to the big time in the United Kingdom before breaking through in their native land. Orson are one of many bands to also have benefited from the increasingly handy MySpace site, plucked from soft rock obscurity to become rising stars, supporting no less than Duran Duran on tour and their debut single No Tomorrow becoming iTunes' most downloaded Single Of The Week ever, fact fans!
Bright Idea is not as immediate as the catchy No Tomorrow, and upon first listen it seems curiously hollow, as though the song is lacking the effervescence of its predecessor. But repeated listens reveal the song to be a grower, not a shower. Jason Pebworth's strong vocal, the achingly precise guitars and the sly hooks suck you in as you come to appreciate this rock-lite colossus-in-the-making.
The chorus of "Here's my bright idea/I just disappear" has a fascinating delay which is not immediately captivating but the song's abundance of hooks win you over. If you can get past the fact that some of them are dressed and tattooed like members of Rancid, Orson can be rather enjoyable fare.
