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March 29, 2024


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California Oranges
Oranges & Pineapples (Darla Records)

By: Angelo De Ieso II

California Oranges are back with their second full-length on Darla Records (one of the coolest international indie-pop labels and distributors of recent history). The Sacramento four-piece stars Holiday Flyer's John Conley on vocals and guitar alongside fellow HF and Rocketship popstar Verna Brock on bass and vocals. The outcome is a cherubic heartfelt punky mesh of Exene and John Doe-esque pop ditties more complex and rocking then their previous self-titled LP. "Oranges & Pineapples" will nicely follow a listen to The Sunken Ships' latest release on Darla, which features Conley's newly wed sister Katie (who also appeared with John Holiday Flyer) and composes one of the sweetest pop scenes of the west coast in the last ten years. From the opening number, "Broken Typewriter", the Oranges delve into the unsurprisingly vibrant and melancholic realm embarked upon by arts on labels such as March, Magic Marker, and Animal World. There's no superbly innovative modern aesthetics in this Oranges release, but who needs groundbreaking when the formula is so precision? Not this reviewer.
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