The Orielles origin story is one that’s such a textbook indie band forming story I’m sure many others would like to pretend they had a similar story. Sisters Sid and Esme Hand-Halford met Henry at a house party and formed a band on the same night whilst bonding over an old piano. After meeting, they formed The Orielles and went on to sign to Art is Hard and Circa, they then leaped to Heavenly Records for the release of their debut. They’re a band that have all the cool tropes of being in an indie band without any of the nonsense, it all just comes naturally to them. Their debut was quietly anticipated by much of the music industry as well as an extremely dedicated following. Their fans see the start of something massive: they see the band’s success and want to be there for the beginning.

In the context of the indie world surrounding, it does feel very much as though they’re finding their own thing. The hooks and sounds of Silver Dollar Moment are definitely something familiar but the album does have its own identity. They capture the sound of a band just starting out and amplify it professionally. Some chops are recognisable but it doesn’t sound like they’re trying to be another band or trying to be anything else.

There’s a lot to suggest that The Orielles’ influences are somewhat nostalgic. The cover for the album is enough to suggest what they sound like, it’s caught somewhere between John Squire’s and Graham Coxon’s artwork. There is a baggy feel throughout the album and it does etch a feeling of what we’re told cool bands in the 90s sounded like. It doesn’t come off as a grabbing of nostalgia, it actually sounds quite fresh. The Orielles have properly learned from these influences and not just nicked the starter pack.

It’s easy to get caught up in Silver Dollar Moment, their sound is very easy to become fond of. There’s a quality to Esme’s voice which wraps listeners up, the ideal counterpart to Henry’s excitable guitar playing. Their songs are full of promise and Silver Dollar Moment is a fundamentally fun listen. It sounds like the excitement of a young band, just signing their deal, making their way out in the world. It’s very easy to get a sense of the kind of people behind this record and where they have come from. Whilst you don’t get to know the individuals on the record, you can convince yourself that you have. It’s qualities like this which make the band so popular and show such promise for them.

Silver Dollar Moment comes off as very breezy and the relaxed opener ‘Mango’ sets the tone for the album, from which all songs follow suit. Throughout the album the song construction becomes a little obvious, there are clearly tropes on the album that the band enjoy indulging in. This indulgence doesn’t spoil the album, the band clearly enjoy playing around with the melodies and sounds they explore on each song. There are a lot of effects at play in the guitar, it’s a huge component of the sound of The Orielles but there are times where you lose some of Henry’s guitar playing in the scramble of different sounds.

The album’s at its strongest when it’s at its most relaxed. ‘Borrachero Tree’ sounds like the rest of the album after a long exhale. It sounds like the crash after the high and it’s a song that’s easy to fall deep into. The band are really great at writing singles too, the majority of the album sounds like it’s full of potential singles. ‘Snaps’ is an immediate candidate, the band have a real knack for building up their songs. ‘I Only Bought It For The Bottle’ and ‘Let Your Dog Tooth Grow’ are the band’s catchiest songs and are the moments where they are the most refined. These singles are what elevate the album and also the songs which make the rest of the album all make sense.

Silver Dollar Moment is a very enjoyable listen. The fandom on the band is obvious because their success does feel like something universal. In a rather saturated indie landscape it’s what makes the band special. The ability to strike a chord with listeners in such a way is a rare quality, I don’t think people are going to want to let go of it any time soon.

Chris Middleton

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