Album Review: The Orphan, The Poet - Translating EP

From their exiled homeland in rural Ohio, quattuor The Orphan, The Poet are swift to declare a lack of any distinctive roots within a particular scene. This sense of unchained inspiration results in a heavier-leaning brand of indie rock that showcases some atmospheric instrumentals amidst much heavier structures and sections. EP ‘Translating’ sets the tone right and will serve as a strong stepping stone.

Their selling point is undoubtedly that binary equation, a notion evident in the way a song like ‘Sleeping Giants’ sets itself out. Heavily-reverbed finger work intertwines with the more angular rhythms while Eselgroth’s clean vocals pull the melodies into epic territory. The band effortlessly lean towards softer and heavier tones throughout the track by blending into each other rather than being divided in clear cut sections.

‘Turncoat’ follows on the same tracks, yet simply feels more straight-forward and doesn’t quite carry the distinctive feel of the previous. ‘Water Seeker’ is more obviously oriented towards the atmospherics and picks up midway into a strong song. Eselgroth’s vocals are the highlight on ‘Black and White Photographs’, where the band seem to hold back a little, allowing the vocal work to carry the song.

However the band truly reach great heights on closing number ‘Invincible’ when all the elements connect in truly epic fashion. The exceptional vocal work is supported by a highly melodic mix of effect-laden lead guitar and crashing rhythms to great effect. ‘Translating’ shows The Orphan, The Poet have found a comfortable niche for themselves to work in and it’s a niche that still has some areas to explore.

4/5

'Translating' by The Orphan, The Poet is available now.

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James Berclaz-Lewis