Orbis Max is

DW Dunphy – Vocals & Keyboards
Don Baake – Guitars, Drum programming, and mixing
Bruce Walker – Keyboards
Craig Carlstrom – Bass

with featured guest artists (see below).

As is their custom, Orbis Max…a collective of musicians who bring in guest players as needed to place the appropriate cherries on their carefully crafted musical sundaes…has been faithfully releasing singles, to the point where they have accumulated enough for a new album, with additional tracks. “Unison” is their latest.

“Blue Confetti” opens the album, with a nice, full, twangy guitar prodding vocalist DW Dunphy along.

The band is joined by Dale Breedon on “Follow,” a full-bodied ballad with a tight and tasty guitar solo in the bridge. The song opens with a big, bold flourish, with the lyrics outlining a number of dead ends that come to the conclusion “Think I’m gonna follow this time.” Redemption isn’t a new concept in the Orbis Max universe, but to the band’s credit, they always succeed in finding new ways to express it.

There’s a really sweet, lighter than air solo mid-song, followed by a passionately delivered bridge, heading nicely into the song’s fade.

“If I Still Believe In Love At All” is an up-tempo rave-up with a nice punch line in the chorus…”If I still believe in love at all, it’s all because of you.” Tim Izzard is featured on “Summerville,” a laid-back, tuneful track. “Oh Polaris” opens with a guitar figure reminiscent of David Gilmour. “Lie To Me” features tight vocals on top of wonderfully spiraling, tough guitar licks. “Nowhereland” is up-tempo all the way, driven by precise and passionate guitar fills and background vocals. Tim Izzard is back for “Further Down The Land,” an extremely nice ballad that has pitch-perfect Dylan overtones. “Used To Be” ramps up the confident R&B attack that this band consistently delivers so well. The album closer is “Not Getting Back With You,” with trademark Orbis irony in the lyrics (“You’re too damn nice for someone like me).

Craig introduced himself to me in year one of my show, and two things you can say about him and all of the fellow travelers in the Orbis Max orbit in the six years that have followed is that there is an unbroken sense of COMMITMENT and ENTHUSIASM in EVERYTHING they do. Because seriously, folks…if you aren’t THRILLED by the music you make and THRILLED at the prospect of lighting up your audience, why do you make music? Craig’s sent me many work-in-progress mixes of Orbis songs, often telling me things like “Ed Ryan’s going to add his guitar solo to this, and it’s a killer…” TWO THINGS get you on MY SHOW. You are EXCITED about what you do, and you’re GREAT at doing it, and Craig & Company pass both of those tests with flying colors. He’s a good friend and it is my great privilege to be his friend in return.

The album is another fine addition to the catalog of a band who knows what they do best and how to proceed in doing it, always managing to sound fresh and vital as they venture into new sonic territories.

UNION is available from BandCamp.

Full track listing & credits:

Blue Confetti: Written by Nigel Winfield & DW Dunphy, with Nigel Winfield (guitars) and Daniele Silvestri (drums). Preduced by Don Baake & Craig Carlstrom. Drums produced and mixed by Daniele Silvestri.

Follow: Written by Dale Breeden, with Dale Breeden (guitars and EBow guitar solo) and Daniele Silvestri (drums). Produced by Don Baake and Craig Carlstrom.

Further Down The Line: Written by Tim Izzard, with Tim Izzard (guitar) and Daniele Silvestri (drums). Produced by Don Baake and Craig Carlstrom. Drums produced and mixed by Daniele Silvestri.

If I Still Believe In Love At All: Written by Craig Carlstrom, Don Baake, and DW Dunphy, with Ed Ryan (guitars and guitar solo) and Daniele Silvestri (drums). Produced by Don Baake and Craig Carlstrom. Drums produced and mixed by Daniele Silvestri.

Summerville: Written by Tim Izzard and DW Dunphy, with Tim Izzard (guitar). Produced by Don Baake and Craig Carlstrom.

Oh Polaris: Written by DW Dunphy, with Dale Breeden (guitars) and Daniele Silvestri (drums). Produced by DW Dunphy, Don Baake, and Craig Carlstrom. Drums produced and mixed by Daniele Silvestri.

Lie To Me: Written by Dale Breeden, with Dale Breeden (guitars) and Daniele Silvestri (drums). Produced by Don Baake, Dale Breeden, and Craig Carlstrom. Drums produced and mixed by Daniele Silvestri.

Nowhereland: Written by DW Dunphy, Produced by DW Dunphy, Don Baake, and Craig Carlstrom.

Used To Be: Written by Craig Carlstrom, Don Baake, Dale Breeden, and DW Dunphy, with Dale Breeden (guitars), Jonny Viau (saxes) and Daniele Silvestri (drums). Produced by Don Baake and Craig Carlstrom. Drums produced and mixed by Daniele Silvestri.

Not Getting Back With You: Written by Tim Izzard, Produced by Don Baake and Craig Carlstrom.