Orphan Boy - Coastal Tones (2015)

‘There’s a rain cloud/And it hangs right over’ sings Orphan Boy frontman Rob Cross on ‘Beats Like Distant Tides’, the opening track on the much underappreciated indie rockers’ new album. It’s a lyric that sums up the album’s vibe perfectly; Costal Tones is an ode to life in the grim north, yet the Orphans’ dreamy melodies conjure an enchanting image of our country’s northern coastal towns. Cross’ flawless lyrics are backed by a band who have honed their sound convincingly since 2010’s Passion, Pain and Loyalty, with Sam Carlton displaying nifty keyboard work on ‘From The Provinces’, whilst there’s stratospheric guitar lines throughout the album’s eleven tracks. Costal Tones is full of smart indie anthems that deserve to be sung back at their creators by crowds in the thousands, and the fact that Orphan Boy haven’t yet enjoyed mainstream success is an indictment on the current state of the music industry. If this album doesn’t bring the Orphans greater recognition, then it’s likely they’ll remain the East Coast’s best kept secret forever, and that would be a real shame.