Seedless – The Orange Album
1.) All You Need
2.) I Want To Know (ft. Dan Kelly of Fortunate Youth)
3.) Love Is A Drug
4.) Heart Of A Warrior
5.) The Story
6.) It’s Always Something
7.) Love Crime
8.) Where Did You Go?
9.) Let It Be
10.) Come Be Free
11.) Borrowed Time
The Pier Album Rating:
Release Date: September 30th, 2016
Official Website: Seedless Website
Artist Background:
It has been just over 6 years since Orange County, California’s Seedless released their debut album, Twisted Roots. With a new record that has been several years in the making, the line-up that fans grew accustomed to hearing on Twisted Roots has since drastically changed for The Orange Album. With original Seedless guitarist/vocalist, Casey Sullivan and Grant Rivera leaving the group, Seedless is attempting to re-capture the magic with the current line-up of Matthew Liufau on vocals, Joe Bakhos on rhythm guitar, Shay Pino on drums and Anthony Wells on keys.
Album Review:
With a new lineup and sound, the Seedless of old is a distant memory. Now with Matthew Liufau at the helm, The Orange Album sounds like the work of a completely different band. So rather than compare the two, let’s analyze the work at hand:
Beginning with “All You Need,” the band demonstrates a mastery of instrumentation in this bass and piano driven tune that’s reminiscent of smooth jazz songs of the early 90s. After a series of harmonies, listeners are introduced to Liufau’s deep, if not cliché vocal register. He carries the song relatively well, though there are moments where his tone becomes more abrasive than necessary. These notes can also be applied to “I Want To Know,” a more reggae-based song featuring Fortunate Youth’s Dan Kelly and Essel Liufau that better fits Matthew Liufau’s tone.
Instrumentals and production quality are the strength of this album, and although Liufau proves to be a capable vocalist, the quality of the lyricism ultimately damages the perception of the album.
The band seems to thrive when they take a more relaxed approach to songs, as seen in “All You Need,” “Let It Be,” and “Come Be Free” compared to songs like “Love Is A Drug,” and the politically charged “Lion,” which feel like cliché reggae songs.
The album hits its stride through the final three songs, which vary from summertime jams to more stripped-down philosophical tunes. These songs benefit from a more collaborative collection of the band’s strengths, as well as improved lyricism, and seem to be the best musical direction for the band to follow for future releases.
Coming off the heels of an exodus from some of its most important members, Seedless had big shoes to fill, and this album shows that they were filled adequately. Although there are growing pains and signs that the band is still in search of their identity, this album provides a variety of music that should appeal to any and all reggae fans. Whether or not fans of the old incarnation of Seedless will show this group the same support remains to be seen, but based on what’s present on The Orange Album, I believe there is plenty of good to build from for future releases.
Written & Reviewed By: Andrew Aroche
[Editors Note: All reviews are reflective of the album in it’s entirety, from start to finish. These reviews are the honest opinion of each writer/reviewer expressing their feedback as a genuine fan of the music. Each star rating reflects their review of the album, NOT the band. Music is subjective. Regardless of the review or star rating, we encourage you to listen to the music yourself & form your own opinion. Spread the awareness of all music in its art & contribution]
Watch: Seedless – “Heart Of A Warrior”
