A Rose Made of Galaxies

After forming in 2008, British dream pop trio Orange Yellow Red were reticent to rush into their first album. The group found some early success when their very first demo was included on an influential compilation hailing the new wave of shoegaze, but following a few initial gigs supporting like-minded acts such as SPC-ECO and Ulrich Schnauss, they felt they just weren't quite ready to make a go of it and instead devoted their time to creating a solid body of work and crafting the kind of debut album they'd want to have on their own record shelves. Sequestered in a small beach house studio just south of the Sussex coastal town of Chichester, they spent the following four years writing, recording, and producing the 11 tracks that would make up their first LP A Rose Made of Galaxies. Citing bands like the Cure and Cocteau Twins as influences, their lush, dreamy guitar pop does indeed live in a similar place to those fabled acts, but there's no denying the organic inspiration of the sea in their sound as well. Lyrical references aside, there's a tidal push and pull to much of the production that indicates a more pastoral kind of shoegaze born well outside of the city. The vocals are split between bassist Emma Hayward and drummer Philip John Mayor with Hayward's dulcet voice taking the lead on the lion's share of the tracks. The standout "All the Hopes" is a classic bit of pop songwriting that wouldn't be out of place on a 1991 release from 4AD Records. While Orange Yellow Red aren't necessarily rewriting the book, they've managed to stake their claim in a storied genre with this impressive and well-written debut.