Syracuse University Orange Appeal Sense of Urgency

Orange Appeal made its debut in the International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella in February 2006. It was the quite the coming out party for group, as the Syracuse University’s lone all-male a cappella group turned back all comers, finishing in first place in its quarterfinal at the University of Rochester. The year after that, the group won its quarterfinal again, and progressed to a memorable semifinal at Rutgers University.

Just a few months prior to the group’s first run in competition, the guys had another first, releasing their first ever CD, Sense of Urgency. Those who have seen Orange Appeal (OA) live will laud them for their seemingly effortless fusion of musical precision and high octane showmanship. Sadly, this recording does not do the ensemble justice.

OA kicks off the disc with Fountains of Wayne favorite “Stacy’s Mom.” This upbeat song should set a fun, energetic tone for the disc. The watered-down recording we get here, though, sets a different tone altogether. Painfully slow, the guys sound more like a bored school choir than a group of entertainers.

The lethargic sound with which OA starts out continues throughout too much of the short CD. Worst of all is the cover of Ben Folds’s “Fred Jones (Part II).” It’s a depressing song to begin with, about an old newspaperman, too old go on with his work, unwillingly replaced by young upstarts. OA doesn’t provoke emotion the way the original song did. On the contrary, the group pushes listeners to misery by lumbering through the song, while soloist Steven Anthony refrains from presenting any of the fire from his live performances of the song.

The disc generally suffers from a sluggish and overly rehearsed sound. The guys hit all the right notes without making any listener care that they’re doing so. The groups signature “Bon Jovi Medley” comes close to escaping this trap. While those who have seen the group perform this song will miss the award winning choreography, the soloists show just enough fire to work the song out.

The rehearsed sound of the album is functional in Westside Story ballad “Somewhere.” An unconventional choice, musical director Malcolm Merriweather lifts the twelve other men in the ensemble on his shoulders, and carries them to an engaging track through the sheer power of his classically trained voice.

Ultimately, the best the track on Sense of Urgency is the last song, a rendition of Sting’s “Seven Days.” Ironically, this song is not one of the groups more memorable numbers in performance, but, because it is a live recording, this is the lone song to really come to life on the album.

All considered, Sense of Urgency is not a bad CD. It’s just not as good as fans of the group would hope. If you’re in the northeast, save your money, and do what you can to catch the music live.

Track list:
1. “Stacy’s Mom” originally performed by Fountains of Wayne
2. “Somewhere” originally from Westside Story
3. “Fred Jones (Part II)” originally performed by Ben Folds
4. “Under the Bridge” originally performed by Red Hot Chili Peppers
5. “It’s so Hard (To Say Goodbye)” originally performed by Boyz II Men
6. “Bon Jovi Medley” individual songs originally performed by Bon Jovi
7. “Seven Days” (Live) originally performed by Sting

Rating: 2.5/5 stars