Oranger

In indie-pop circles, The Beatles and the Beach Boys get ripped off all the time, as do The Velvet Underground and Big Star. Perhaps someday a band will break that mold, but rest assured, Oranger is not that band. But unoriginal as it might be (and the list of truly original current pop bands is a short one), Oranger is at least creative in its thievery, using the infrequently co-opted sounds of early Chicago as an effective muse on the standout track "Suddenly Upsidedown.” The other tunes bring to mind a rewarding tour of the low-key psychedelic and power-pop scenes of the ’60s and ’70s as conducted by a tour guide who winks with reverence at each stop. Oranger often augments its fuzzy jangling guitars with sitar, moog, bells and chimes, just as its idols did during their trippy phases. It might be derivative — the album’s title is even lifted from The Who’s Tommy — but Oranger has a certain grace about itself that keeps the band from coming off as an embarrassing impersonator of its heroes.