MMM with Oranje Space & Merce Lemon 🎶
I'm Max. It's Monday. And BOY is this music.
Welcome to Max’s Music Mondays. My ~music discovery newsletter~ where I get too excited about songs I love. I hope you love them too. Your subscriptions go such a long way. Free subscribers help these artists get the audience they deserve, paid subscriptions help keep this thing running and also PAY THE ARTISTS!!! 2/3 of every subscription goes right back to the artists I write about. Please consider supporting independent music and music journalism(?) here today <3
It was fun writing that essay about the future of music creation, consumption, iteration, etc. a few weeks back. Definitely in the plans to keep finding time and space to put these ideas together and share them here. Thank you for the warm reception and for engaging with the writing!! It sincerely means so much.
There’s always new ideas like that rolling around my head, just by virtue of being a music fan. This week I’m thinking a lot about the deluge of music we’ve already seen this year. Album after album, an endless list of favorite artists putting out full length’s and the impossible mission of staying up to date with all of it while still engaging deeply with it.
It’s obviously a fool’s errand, but baby i’m a fool!! I crave the time and space to live in these albums. Waxahatchee’s Tiger Blood has been a prime example. Not really an artist I’ve dove into before, although I’m surrounded by fans in my life. I made a point to run this album through a few times, and I’m absolutely hooked. I can’t stop now. And while obviously this is in large part to her talent, and just how good the music is, I can’t help but wonder what other great music I’d fall for if I only made the effort.
Last year I did well, earmarking albums I wanted to listen to, saving them for my Sunday errands. But folks, I don’t have to go to the compost drop-off any more! I can just put it in my green bin!! So now when do I listen? When do you listen? Do you feel overwhelmed by all of this too? I’d seriously love to know.
I’ve been craving the chance to write more album reviews on the ATOD part of this newsletter (check it out - https://maxsmusicmondays.substack.com/s/all-the-other-days) but need more and more listens to make that happen. Maybe I’ll aim for one or two a month? We’ll see. What albums would you want to see me review?
Oranje Space - Ebb and Flow (EP)
I’m doing the unthinkable (very thinkable actually) and writing about an entire EP. Only been done one other time in MMM history - Joey Nebulous’ High on Daddy’s Day from 2017 for those keeping track at home - and happens when I really love an artist and a project and simply CANNOT pick a single song to write about. A need for you to hear the whole project. This is a special four songs, and I really hope you’ll take the time to listen the whole way through. I think Oranje Space is up to something brilliant here, get on board!!
Open
These are some of the craziest chords I’ve ever heard. Like hearing James Blake echoing out from the depths of a factory, the sounds bouncing through floors, off machinery, reaching us here in what feels like a hazy morning, sun just rising. An red and orange glow.
As Oranje Space starts singing, the chords are replaced by an intimate acoustic guitar. Little flairs sparkling around the edges too, as he sings gently and kindly. Expressing his feelings to someone, it feels long overdue or like a last chance to say these things. So tender as the piano joins the fold with more vocals at 1:06. The message feeling so earnest and true.
Deep down I feel the weight of things
COME ON!!!! The melody, the rhythm, this whole section is gorgeous. As we break past two minutes, you really start to feel the scale of Oranje Space’s vision and artistry. His voice sounding confident and certain as the waves of sound emerge. Dampened drums drive under heavy chords, the song trudging forward while his vocals shine. Layers and layers and octaves and harmony runs, it’s stunning really. Filled with tiny moments of genius (like that bass sliding up at 2:13, just breathtaking). The moment ends, those original chords returning, a beautiful end to a beautiful start.
Cylinders
Soft acoustic chords spill out as a synth comes and goes. Stretching thin but I can’t but I can’t stress no more… How did this happen?! The thought reverberating through his mind, the self talk building inside him. A song of struggle, letting out that I hope that’s enough for you. Even in the struggle, it’s kind and loving. Some synths and guitars begin to appear in this instrumental section, more beauty at every corner. Like our narrator, still enjoying the moment even if he knows it’s not the moment he’s been dreaming of.
The song rocks back and forth with this guitar until finally just before 3:30 a single piano note rings out, a bat signal for the rest of the band. Drums, bass, keys, softly dropping into the fold. A slow-dancing bridge, with one perfect cut to show Oranje still standing in the middle of it all. It’s a dream of a song, a daydream of better days, I love it.
Wish You Well
A standout among standouts, WYW is the shortest song on this project, the piano & vocal duet seemingly simple. But over some thoughtful and unique chords, Oranje Space really shows off. His vocals on this song sound like we’re in the room with him. That gentle reverb from the walls around us both. He chases and explores some wild melodies and wilder runs. A crazy performance from start to finish. Continuously coming back to this mantra, I wish you well. I think fans of Ryan Beatty will find some joy here, personal storytelling over a perfect piano.
Can’t Help Myself
Closing the EP strong, this one seems to blossom out of Wish You Well. Bass, some percussion, a brief dash of flute, keys dancing by, a sweet little guitar riff holding it all together.
Through this first verse, Oranje Space once again shines. A perfect performance over this beautiful arrangement. His tone is crazy, and always seems to know just how where each syllable should land. Breaking through the minute mark, building steam through this pre-chorus section, that kick drum big and warm. At 1:28 we start to hear some crackling, something else coming, someone new sitting down to join the band. And the moment swells quickly, like the walls of the room all fall away, and we’re left in the center of a big breezy sunny field, Oranje Space at the center of it all, wanting to give you everything you need. Willing to give it all, the band rallying behind him. It’s really a magnificent moment, that piano continuing to color this section. It’s a damn treat.
It closes back to the simple piano and vocals, Oranje Space just trying to be better, to be enough. Reaching out to earn this love, and dedicating himself to growing forever. A touching sentiment and powerful end to the project.
I’m so excited about him, and the music community around him. Makes me optimistic for the future of music, the future of deeply thoughtful and creative artists developing and creating important art. I think the 15mins spent listening would encourage the same feeling in you, and you still gotta watch the visuals…
Follow Oranje Space on Instagram // on Spotify
Merce Lemon - Will You Do Me A Kindness
My friend Grace dialed into the Max’s Music Mondays Hotline (texted my cell phone) a few months back with a major music alert. Side note, I love when y’all send me music it really is one of my biggest joys.
And when I hear “they were so fucking good” I know Grace isn’t messing around. That same week, Merce Lemon had featured on villagerrr’s most recent single ‘Neverrr Everrr’. A confluence of events that I equate to the universe yelling “LISTEN TO THIS BAND” in my face until I do it.
Both Merce and villagerrr are signed to Darling Records, a label I really admire, and are a part of this broader music community that I’ve discovered via Josh Terry’s incredible, No Expectations. One of the best music newsletters around, Terry has helped me contextualize all these bands amongst each other - which is the mature way of saying that I am constantly building my mental web of connections, red string all over the place like I’m solving a crime but the crime is that they all make sick music and it makes me so happy, how!?
The latest single from Lemon is really a triumph. The first verse paints a clear scene, the tiny details of a real life, complete with warm community and dash of loneliness. The writing here feels like a painting. Each detail important and meaningful, the more time spent looking at it, the more there is to enjoy. Some sick guitar adds to the moment, Lemon’s smooth delivery offerred a nice contrast. That guitar sending us soaring into the chorus, the whole band sounding so amazing. This big, full sound spreading its wings, each strum feeling like a powerful flap of said wings, getting higher and higher into the open sky. Point the sun right into my flesh, the band stepping together on the down beats landing blow after blow. If the song ended here, that alone would be one of the best songs of the year.
But graciously, we’re just getting started. The band rallying for one last lyric, the title lyric, which really is unforgettable and so particular. A classic case of an artist’s sound and vocabulary aligning so well.
The second verse showcases Lemon’s range a little more - able to move so easily across the melody. The guitar dancing by her side the whole way through. More beautiful imagery to savor ‘flung out chairs scatter the yard / while the wind does its whipping’. Folks this is poetry!! This is art!!! But by the end of the verse I’m BEGGING for that chorus to return. It’s just massive and so damn satisfying. The whole band coming back to life, the second vocal giving it so much texture. Pushing the lyrics louder, like it’s all about to peak. Like the vocals couldn’t be louder or we’d all be screaming, staying controlled just within that limit. Just let it all wash over you. Ah!!! I really love this.
The bridge simplifies, just the guitars and vocals. It’s small and gentle and personal. That final Will you sleep repeated and repeated, a question for the whole band to rally around. And rally they do, my god, the song really climaxing as we hit this last chorus. Bigger and better than ever before. It’s jaw-dropping to be quite honest <3 But it doesn’t stop there, continuing on, shredding this solo. And just when it reaches the cliff’s edge, the song backs of entirely. Settling into this soft, sunset groove, so easy you’d forget we were just rocking tf out a mere moment ago. Oof. A special song.
Follow Merce Lemon on Instagram // on Spotify
This Week on All The Other Days:
Been obsessing about this new Henry Kwapis (of Dijon drum fame) produced Kacy Hill song. Just dipping my toes (sobbing two songs in) into the Medium Build album. New Lola Young goes so hard and is just so fun. Just heard about Alameda for the first time, her ‘Don’t Call Me’ is sick. Temme Scott is back and I am so grateful. And the aforementioned Waxahatchee record has me dancing all night long. Oh, and this Empress Of record goes wild!! Really liking Lorelei.
Alrighty, that’ll do it this week.
All my love, talk soon,
Max