“It’s hotter than hell, but don’t it make for a sunset” begins Orchid South, the third album by acclaimed Memphis singer-songwriter Chris Milam. Introducing a lush, bold rock and roll record full of extremes—the highs and lows of adolescence—Milam sets a stage of looming disaster and irrepressible beauty. This is Milam’s teenage wasteland: it’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel everything.
Now comes Orchid South, Milam’s third LP. Like his first two, OS was cut at High/Low Recording in Memphis with Milam’s longtime producer Toby Vest. But unlike the electronically-inflected folk of Kids These Days, or the stripped-down Americana of Meanwhile, Orchid South is Milam’s most ambitious project to date: eleven songs in four days, one band, all recording live on the tracking room floor.
Every aspect of Orchid South—from its inception through its production—runs counter to current music industry trends. Here is an old-school, cohesive album in a singles world. A singer-songwriter album of loud, fast rock songs. Live recording in an age of overdubs. And an independent artist writing swing-for-the-fences anthems.
Set firmly in its time and place (1990’s Memphis), Orchid South blends 90’s alt-rock, Memphis power pop, three-part harmonies, knockout horn arrangements, and Milam’s vivid storytelling. These eleven portraits of teenage life draw a direct line from the tumult of Milam’s adolescence to the existential dread of today.
Though a far cry from conventional singer-songwriter fare, Orchid South reflects the depth and breadth of Milam’s songwriting talent. These are Chris Milam’s songs of the summer: bombastic, beautiful, and fleeting.
Orchid South arrives May 10th on M Records.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the album’s title track and opener, which is densely packaged with arena-ready hooks and first-night-of-summer setting. Centered around the themes of young love and urgency, the song is an exuberant rocker that finds Milam coming out of the gate singing with sharp guitar, big vocals, a catchy, anthemic chorus, and a driving rhythm. He displays his singer-songwriter roots by packing the song with potent lyrics that convey strong feelings and visuals, contrasting them with sharp guitar, a smattering of horns and organ, and a huge drum sound. If this song is any indication, Orchid South will be a major evolution for an artist already brimming with talent.
Milam describes the inspiration behind the song:
“This is the album I’ve wanted to make since I picked up a guitar. It’s about my teenage years, but it’s also written from a teenager’s perspective: the stories, sights, sounds, and music I experienced as a kid growing up in Memphis. The title track is a good first impression: big, layered powerpop for the big, layered feelings of adolescence. I wanted to capture how heightened everything feels at that age, when driving through an earthquake and seeing your crush both feel like existential crises.”
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One Response
Groovy! Well done, Chris! This sounds like a modern version of late 90’s radio pop rock.