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| Image copyright Polydor Records |
A few weeks ago I wrote the first post in an occasional series about bands that took me by surprise in 2011. Other priorities have taken over since then, but it's time to return to the list. This particular artist actually ties in to another post I made a while back about women in rock music, and is one of the two who will feature in this series (see the forthcoming article about Tegan & Sara in the next few weeks.)
In comparison to ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, featured at number 5 in this list, Orianthi has been around a relatively short amount of time, releasing her first album, 'Violet Journey', released in 2007.
I am unashamed to say that I discovered Orianthi through the Guitar Hero game series as her cover of the song 'Suffocated', by Sound the Alarm features in the game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. The album that I have chosen for this post, 'Believe', features this song as well as, rather unusually given her Greek-Australian heritage, a cover of a former Danish Eurovision Song Contest entry, (it's not often you see Ronan Keating get a songwriting credit on a rock album...) amongst a number of songs written by Orianthi herself and others.
The covers are two of the songs that stick out the most, but not because they highlight a lack of quality in her songwriting ability, rather because they are much different in tone and style to the rest of the album.
You could be forgiven, when listening to 'Believe', the Danish cover after which the album is named, that it was simply going to be another soulless Kelly Clarkson-esque piece of girl-pop-rock dross, but it's really the only low point on an otherwise very well put together record.
The album wastes no time in getting going, starting with the fast paced, pop-punk single 'According to You' and following it up with 'Suffocated'. It continues to go from strength to strength after that, even if 'Suffocated' seems a little out of place in comparison to Orianthi's own songs.
The best of the album actually comes near the end, with 'Highly Strung', which is written and performed collaboratively with legendary guitarist. Steve Vai, famous for being one of the fastest shredders the world has ever seen. The track proves that the young Australian is more than a match for the veteran showcasing her incredible guitar talent. It certainly goes a long way to explaining why she was due to take up the mantle as Michael Jackson's lead guitarist on his ill-fated 'This Is It' tour.
This album really is one that breaks away from the hard-to-shake and unfortunately denigrated 'chick-rock' label that has the potential to blight the careers of so many talented artists. Another record of this quality will really cement her place at the top table of modern rock artists. More outstanding collaborations with rock legends certainly won't hurt her cause.
