Band: Red Orchid
Band Website: www.redorchidbloom.com
Label: Independent Release
Release Date: 2009
Red Orchid is the brainchild of founder Sanmeet Sidhu and Sky is Falling is the first on-line CD release. Based in the Washington
DC area, Red Orchid’s music is a blend of eighties era symphonic progressive rock with some really cool cultural influences such as
Sitar and Tabla all of which makes the music on Sky is Falling worthy of some attention. The band is made up of Sidhu (vocals, guitar,
synth, piano, sitar, flute), Tom Dupree (drums), Steven X (bass, backing vocals) and guests artists: Parth Sen (Tabla on "Far from
home", "Silence Within") and Rick Stu (Piano on "Silence Within").
The music on Sky is Falling is a contrast of softer melodic
songs with harder edged guitar accents presented in a style not unfamiliar to fans of Porcupine Tree and its evident right off the
top with “Revive” [7:40]. The track goes through a variety of changes in arrangement, with the music building in intensity and then
subsiding. There is a distinct melancholy feel, a kind of longing in the lyrics and vocal style that actually runs through all seven
compositions. Guitar solos are restrained and play to the service of the composition rather than grandstand. Things pick up substantially
in tone and tempo for the track “Walking in the Sky” [6:25] a more straight forward rock track but then revert back to a little more
complexity with the title track “Sky is Falling” [7:59] the longest of the bunch. The intro features some interesting guitar and buzzing
synth interplay which then goes into the song’s opening segment. At the three-minute mark it’s all change as things go more acoustic
guitar and piano and then some synth strings. This tone proceeds to build in intensity for the much of the rest of the track, which
then ends with moody piano and wind-sounds expressing a poignant and lonely feeling. A couple of the other tracks even display a kind
of Dire Straights with Sitar sound that’s quite intriguing.
Sky is Falling may be a little rough around the edges, but there’s
no question its a work of passion. The forty minutes of music here may not be the most complex music you’ll hear but it truly is a
work of heart and I think has much to offer. This being the first musical collection for Red Orchid I look forward to the band’s development
and future offerings. Those interested should check out the band’s website for some samples and a pretty reasonable price for downloading
the album.
