The Orielles- live for the Flying Vinyl Festival at  Shapes Warehouse, Hackney, April 2016

The Orielles from Halifax have single-handedly demolished the dark, satanic mills, and the grim, urban landscape of their home town. In its place they have built a virtual paradise resort in sun-soaked Californifax, where growing audiences check in for an idyllic break. Like Viola Beach, tragically killed in Sweden in February, and who were due to play at this very festival, the Orielles transport you into the heat of shimmering summer. You are wearing a string vest, Bermuda shorts and sunglasses as you run wildly along Viola Beach, twisting and shouting, reeling and a rocking as the rays beat down upon you. Who else is there, all smiles and volleyball? Jan and Dean of course. And the Beach Boys, the Mamas and Papas, Scott Mackenzie. Throw in the Ronettes, the Shirelles, the Byrds and what about a few more recent acts such as the Primitives. You get the idea.

This is music to surfmosh psychedelically to. Songs to trip out to. Melodies, whoo-oo-oo’s and wah-wah-wah’s to whistle and hum along to. In spite of their youth there is plenty of innate musicianship to admire. Sid’s backbeats and timekeeping are tight and strong. It is great to see another female drummer following in the footsteps of Maureen Tucker (Velvet Underground), and Meg White (White Stripes) Henry’s guitar riffs and runs are inventive and are interwoven through the songs, always at the forefront. Meanwhile, Esme’s bass runs, and sweet but punk dreamy voice are the bliss-inducing icing on this wa-wa-wa-ooh piece of cake.

The Orielles are one hundred per cent Californifax. Yes, you are in the summer of love in the heart of the 60’s but yes, there is still something of normal 2016 Halifax teen, garage life that sits just in the background as you listen. It is the perfect combination, just as the car industry of Detroit hovers in the Motown sound.

The Orielles’ set at the Flying Vinyl Festival includes all three songs from the Jobin single (Jobin, Twin Freaks and Sliders), the Space Doubt/Just Like Glue single, Bitch and Joey Says We Got It. These are all two to three minute packages of smily, psychedelic surfpop until the end when they reveal a different side and have an early 70’s extended jam with superb rock drumming and several tempo and time changes, driving bass and atomic lead guitar. Henry takes a leaf out the Asylums’ manic book and headfreaks out to the close of the set, all jangles and reverberescence as the audience contemplates the unthinkable: they will have to leave the sunny resort behind and fly back to normality, although the smile will remain for quite some time.

The Orielles are:

Esme-Dee– singer, bass   Henry– guitar     Sid– drums

They are on Facebook, Twitter (@TheOrielles) and Soundcloud

Their singles Jobin and Space Doubt are available on iTunes