Orlando Weeks – ‘Loja’ album review: an artist stepping into the sunshine

Name: Orlando Weeks - Loja
Rating: 4.5

Jack Whatley

Wed 5 June 2024 14:29, UK

Orlando Weeks - 'Loja'

4.5

THE SKINNY: For me, and likely many others my age, it’s very difficult not to see a bracket after reading Orlando Weeks‘ name that says “former Maccabees singer”. Weeks’ work with the indie darlings is impossibly connected to his life. Since then he has offered a string of superb, variated solo albums. However, with Loja, the songwriter must surely be seen most clearly in his own right.

During my teens, I had the pleasure of following The Maccabees for tens of gigs during their earliest moments. Trying to find the location of the venue that ended up looking like a disused school gym, travelling up and down motorways to see them support The Futureheads and travelling to the arse-end of middle England to scoot between their sets and that of Hot Club De Paris (ask your parents). However, even I can now happily attest that Orlando Weeks is far more than just the singer of that important band.

Loja is the sum of Weeks’ long and winding road. It captures not only the brilliance of The Gritterman, A Quickening and Hop Up, which each took massive strides forward for him as an artist, but also the journey Weeks has experienced as a man. No longer the shiny-faced young adult with a collar so tightened to the top one feared his head might pop off, Weeks is now creating records that act as maps to the landscape of his adult life.

Effortlessly blending electronic modernism with the rich organic crema that one can only find in the cafes of Lisbon, Weeks is clearly evolving beyond anything his audience may have imagined. There’s a dexterity to Loja that hasn’t been seen before, as he not only provides a sense of welcoming warmth but doesn’t ignore the chill of the shadows it can cast.

Similarly, it’s difficult not to see Loja – an ode to the new artist studio he resides in – as Week’s striding out of the shadow of his former work and enveloping himself in the blissful sunshine of a new chapter. It is a record that feels liberated enough to do what it pleases.

For fans of: The Maccabees, still, probably.

A concluding comment from my wife: “Why do you look so proud?”

Orlando Weeks – Loja track by track

Release Date: June 6th | Producer: Sergio Maschetzko, David Granshaw, Nathan Jenkins | Label: Fiction

‘Longing’: Opening with his enigmatic vocal is a smart way for Orlando Weeks to confirm his evolution away from “former Maccabees singer” into his own artistic presence. the fact that ‘Longing’ continues to sonically raise the listener’s spirit is a happy coincidence. [3.5/5]

‘Best Night’: There are two paths for an album to take. They can either undulate between genre and rhythm, delivering something that never stays still, or they can flow from river to sea with a simple grace. Weeks has brought out the latter, and ‘Best Night’ sees us floating down toward the ocean. [4/5]

‘Wake Up’: Weeks’ captivating lyrics and always cherishable vocals continue to provide solace in an otherwise lonesome soundscape on ‘Wake Up’. Ethereal as the morning dew dripping off a strange window before kicking into a chainsaw riff that provides a welcome dose of grit. [4/5]

‘Dig’: While the record is certainly blessed with a light touch and Weeks’ noted artistry, there is also a pulsing rhythm to the LP that many will overlook. ‘Dig’, complimented by Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale, is one of the album’s best visions of this, built out of the breathy tension of the two singers biting at one another. [4.5/5]

‘You & The Packhorse Blues’: It may feel easy to pick out this track as one of the lighter moments of the LP, but sometimes a bit of light is welcome, and it’s likely Weeks’ most obvious ‘thank you’ to his wife for moving with him to lisbon. The flow continues to take us through a new dusty landscape and towards the sea. [4/5]

‘Good To See You’: This is the first time Weeks moves away from the more organic sound that permeates the record and welcomes the electro wobble that has filtered into most of his post-Maccabees work. However, this time, it feels more easily placed than ever. A sense of warmth and welcoming overcomes the potentially cold introduction to produce smiles and swaying hips. [4.5/5]

‘My Love Is (Daylight Saving)’: Meanwhile, as electronic glitches become more prominent, balanced with a crunchy guitar, Weeks produces a slow-build beauty that has all the chops to completely captivate you. [4/5]

‘Please Hold’: As the river flows, there is always the chance of the odd rock and rapid capsizing you. ‘Please Hold’ is certainly the most heartbreaking track on the LP, as Weeks pleads to hold on: “It’s winter now, but the spring is coming,” he belts with a purpose. [4.5/5]

‘Sorry’: Weeks’ ability to blend electronic and organic sounds together has been a mainstay of his previous work, and ‘Sorry’ is so effortless it’s difficult to call the drum machine he uses anything other than an extension of his creativity. The duality allows every song to be both rich in pathos and gilded with a sense of hope. [4.5/5]

‘Tomorrow’: Almost home. The speed increases, and Weeks’ delivery takes heed, pushing the tempo and allowing the almost-choral breaks to be punctuated with a sense of purpose. It’s hard not to feel enlivened by such a moving track, add headphones to that concoction and you have something potentially life-changing. [5/5]

‘Beautiful Place’: The sweet embrace of the ocean. At the end of the 11-track journey, Weeks sees us out with something unstoppably tender and enveloping, pushing his prominent vocal to the fore and concluding a record worthy of his heavenly tone. [4/5]