'Expectations' by Orbit 17: Lay Them Down

Author

Trixie Rasputin

stream 'expectations'

Formed in 2022, Orbit 17 spent the later part of 2023 blasting through the atmosphere of the Bay Area music scene. The first time I saw them play live was at The Bistro in Hayward, a small bar-cafe with a brightly lit stage that hosts lots of upcoming bands. At this show, Orbit 17 left a glow of space dust in their wake that had me wondering where they might land their groovy spaceship. Shortly after that, I began to notice their singer Jamie Brite (along with her partner Lee Streitz of Orbit 17 Photography) was frequenting a lot of local shows, and planning for world domination (as expected). What I wasn't expecting was their debut single "Expectations" to come out of the ether without any warning, leaving me totally in awe of the band. It is a really cool track, and this humble group hardly made a peep. I suspect they knew the music would speak for itself.

Expectations is a strong launch that shows off the best features of Orbit 17's otherworldly sound. Reminiscent of Radiohead, there is a depth to the arrangements that feels quite ethereal, as I'm sure these cosmically bound musicians would have intended. They go from quiet, lyrically driven sections of the song to big swells of overdriven guitars and misty vocals. I just saw the band play again at Kilowatt in San Francisco, and I was really impressed by the band's ability to go seamlessly between the open vocal lines to the wall of sound that follows. Ultimately, Jamie writes songs that showcase the interplay between analog and digital techniques, which makes for some very interesting soundscapes. 'Expectations' truly defied my expectations for this band, and it has been a pleasure to play this one on repeat.

Released on January 19th, 2024. 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️