Music Reviews

“orso”

oRSo

oRSo

Perishable

Sometimes I feel that music like this is like a club with stiff and esoteric admittance requirements. Understanding where Phil Spirito (also of Rex) is coming from may prove to be an impossible task until you relax your death-grip on conventional verse-chorus-verse musicality and hover along oRSo’s musical touchpoints with Spirito and an associated band of other noteworthy musicians, including Brian Deck and Ben Massarella of Red Red Meat. Central to oRSo’s sound is Spirito’s banjo, whose deliberate plunking forms an earthy grounding for the mysterious sounds of violins and unidentifiables, and the light musings of the occasional toy piano. “stretch your money” would come close to sounding like a Led Zeppelin outtake (circa “Friends”) if it weren’t for the wheezing and straining of the pump organ. By making you check in your fuddy-duddies at the door, oRSo’s club readies you for an unexpected whirling blend of sounds and textures that threatens to ruin your sensibilities for standard music. The band is taking a break in November for a brief tour, including several Southeastern dates – check the calendar for the venue nearest you.

Perishable Ltd., P.O. Box 57-8804, Chicago, IL 60657-8804


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