L’Orange

The Ordinary Man

Mello Music Group

If Chilly Gonzalez and DJ DSL collaborated it might come out sounding exactly like the music that Nashville-based producer L’Orange harvests. Chilled beats provide the framework for a dust-off of old jazz and blues samples. It’s a winning formula. One L’Orange knows just how (correctly) to milk, never quite repeating himself – or if so, bringing in just enough musical guests to make it seem fresh each time.

Del The Funky Homosapien is on hand this time – to give Blame The Author a tip up as the early highlight.

But the opener, Third Person, has a lovely lilt to it, reminiscent of L’Orange’s work across The Orchid Days.

It’s very easy to like – background music that shines just enough so as not to be forgotten, reduced. You can leave it on and let it flow gently behind conversation or you can turn it up for a star turn, centre stage. Case in point being The Everyday Illusion, its stuttering vocal snatch of words from the standard Summertime wafting over a slinky, bass-driven groove. You are hooked. It pulls you in.

I was first hipped to L’Orange with the release of Old Soul, a mixtape of repurposed Billie Holiday tracks. So good. Still. It’s the gold standard from this producer I believe. That said, he’s kept me along for the ride. I’ve tried everything else he’s done – and the result is always strong. Here with The Ordinary Man he adds another set of charming, just eccentric-enough jazz and blues purloins to the tray. Lets them sizzle and shimmer. I reckon it’d be impossible to hate this. It’s just the right level of slickness. With always just enough groove and soul.