Orville Peck

Evidently I’m supposed to love Orville Peck because I’m gay and he’s gay and he’s a country singer with bass in his voice and he’s doing the mysterious fringe veil like some sort of country Sia. Or some such.

Yeah, he’s the cowboy with the Lone Ranger mask with the fringe.

I’m still pondering the fringe mask thing. I mean, yeah, it’s a gimmick— but like it says in Gypsy- ya gotta get a gimmick. And it definitely makes me want to know what he looks like- this South African born gay country singer cowboy living in Canada.

He also feels a bit like the white, country Nas-X. Unapologetically gay in a genre not typically supportive. Flamboyant. And masculine- but bending enough to prod people to uncomfortableness.

I mean, he’s definitely my type. A skinny boy with musical talent. And tattoos. And perhaps a hint of an Auburn beard. So….

Musically though, at this point I’m not sure how I feel about him. I’m not a huge country fan, and he feels very 1960’s country to me. Johnny Cash meets Roy Orbison meets George Jones perhaps. But definitely an old school vibe to it. Which isn’t really my thing, sound wise.

But.

I stumbled across his video for “Curse of the Blackened Eye” in my Facebook feed and I watched it. And then I downloaded the song. The video is… interesting… but it was more the song that grabbed me. It feels very KD Lang “Drag” album to me. It’s this drowsy country lament that takes him through the entire range of his voice— roughly 2.5 octaves worth. and lyrically it’s interesting.

“You gotta beat or join them, try to act surprised, just flip a coin cause I’m to bored to lie“

The song is hypnotic and makes me think. I quite like it.

So I noodled around iTunes and checked out other songs of his. I don’t know if I’m sold yet- but I did download one more “C’mon baby, cry”. And then “Let me Drown”— which the live video is quite good.

Evidently he’s going to be playing Minneapolis in June at First Ave. I’m sure it’s sold out by now (it wasn’t)— not that I would go necessarily (I am). But he definitely does have my curiosity piqued.

PS? He does a really sort of epic version of “Fancy”. I’m sort of in love with it. Imagine Johnny Cash singing about getting dolled up by his mama to entertain gentlemen for money.