Late last fall, I had coffee with Columbus, Ohio alt-rock trio The Orphan The Poet just down the street from my house. Geography and timing often hinder my ability to sit down in person with most of the artists I interview, so caffeinating across the table with actual human forms instead of the usual speakerphone was a breath of fresh air.
In March, bassist Jake Floyd invited me to their headlining show at Rumba Café, which was, from start to finish, a splendidly rambunctious collision of bright beats and vivacious melodies. Lead vocalist David Eselgroth spends a good amount of his stage time partially airborne as he leaps fervently in sync with drummer Sam Gordon’s diligent stick work. It was pure endorphin-fueled fun.
The band’s new single “Queen Cobra” maintains the good vibes with its gritty bass swagger and acoustic guitar spangle – loosely recalling the deliberate rhythmic chug of Wang Chung’s 1984 hit “Dance Hall Days.”
While “Money,” which preceded “Queen Cobra,” opened the door to national radio play for the band when it was released last September, their latest has the potential to kick it wide open with its versatile groove that will undoubtedly charm the masses who catch them at Bunbury Music Festival in Cincinnati later this month, and at Firefly Music Festival in Delaware the last week of June.
LISTEN:
