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Orianthi: O
Orianthi - O Album Art

Orianthi: O

Modern Melodic Pop Rock
4.0/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 04.11.2020 | Released: 06.11.2020

Most aficionados of modern pop rock will recognize the singer, songwriter, and guitarist Orianthi Panagaris. Perhaps you recall her playing lead guitar for Carrie Underwood at the 2009 Grammy Awards. This, in turn, led to an audition as Michael Jackson's guitarist for his proposed This Is It tour before he died tragically. But Orianthi is also an accomplished solo artist with three albums under her belt. The single According To You from the Believe album continues to be a colossal international hit song. More recently she's been the touring guitarist for shock rock legend Alice Cooper. Now Orianthi revisits her solo career with O, currently signed to the Frontiers Music label.

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Orianthi

There's little doubt that Orianthi is melodic rock artist, with her songwriting emphasizing her guitar skills. While undergirded with classic rock vibes, her tunes are also infused with pop and dance beats, and often rely heavily on electronic programming. Yet at the center of all this is her voice and guitar skills. Orianthi is a fine pop vocalist with a range from smooth to edgy punk. Her guitar work ranges from novel to spirited to eclectic which will impress the seasoned guitarist and inspire the young and aspiring musician. When all these things are brought together O becomes an intriguing and entertaining listen with plenty of twists and turns.

You'll hear some of that pop dance groove with Contagious, Blow, or the poly-rhythmic Company. With Sinners Hymn, Orianthi creates a song that rises steadily to embrace heavy rock with a volatile guitar solo, yet with lightness lingering afterwards. Rescue Me does something similar by starting lighter with voice and acoustic guitar only to punch out with heavy moments, notably one with a sharp guitar solo. It was one my favorite songs on the album. However, when listening to her vocal line, I couldn't help to wonder if the song couldn't be rearranged as a modern country song. Huh. Moving along, Orianthi offers a true rock ballad with Crawling Out Of The Dark driven by her voice over her acoustic guitar before offering a spirited electric solo. All things considered, I found O and Orianthi's music engaging, intriguing, and so both entertaining and uniquely different from what I generally listen to. There's nothing wrong with stepping out of your (supposed) comfort zone. Recommended.




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The Bottom Line

I found O and Orianthi's music engaging, intriguing, and so both entertaining and uniquely different from what I generally listen to. There's nothing wrong with stepping out of your (supposed) comfort zone. Recommended.

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