Orange Blood Album Review #42: Mt. Joy Finds Beauty in the Chaos

What Is Orange Blood by Mt. Joy About?

Orange Blood by Mt. Joy is about trying to find light, peace, and connection when the world feels messy and overwhelming.

I feel like this is definitely Mt. Joy’s most psychedelic rock album to date. It still has the warm indie-folk sound that makes the band so easy to connect with, but this record adds more haze, groove, and atmosphere than anything they had released before it.

A lot of the album has this colorful, sun-drenched desert feeling to it. The guitars feel loose and warm, the rhythms have more movement, and the songs often sound bright on the surface even when there is something heavier underneath.

That is what makes Orange Blood work so well. It touches on love, grief, anxiety, friendship, pollution, societal decay, and the struggle to stay present, but it never feels hopeless. The album keeps searching for beauty in the middle of the chaos.

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Quick Details

Artist: Mt. Joy
Album: Orange Blood
Released: June 17, 2022
Genre: Indie Rock / Indie Folk / Alternative Rock
Label: Island Records
Length: About 34 minutes
Tracks: 10
Album Review Series: #42
Key Songs: “Orange Blood,” “Evergreen,” “Lemon Tree,” “Bang,” “Ruins,” “Bathroom Light”

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Recording Stories and Background

One of the most interesting things about Orange Blood is how much the album seems tied to a specific time and place.

When the pandemic shut everything down, Mt. Joy had their momentum interrupted like so many other bands. They had been set to tour with The Lumineers, and then suddenly the world changed. Instead of being on the road, Matt Quinn and Sam Cooper ended up spending time in the Southern California desert, including Joshua Tree, and that setting became a huge part of the album’s identity.

That is where the idea of “orange blood” really starts to make sense. The sun, the desert, the color orange, and the idea of light connecting everything all became part of the record’s mood. You can hear that in the music. The album feels wide open, warm, and reflective, almost like the songs are staring out at the horizon.

Another interesting piece is that the album was later finished back in Philadelphia with the full band and longtime collaborator Caleb Nelson. I like that because it gives the album two different energies at once. It has that desert glow, but it also still feels rooted in the band’s Philadelphia chemistry.

There is also a funny story behind “Johnson Song.” Matt Quinn has explained that “johnson” was basically an inside joke word the band used for everything, including annoying situations. Then after tracking the chorus, he realized the song had accidentally leaned into another meaning of the word. Instead of running away from it, the band just embraced how funny and ridiculous it was. That really fits Mt. Joy. They can be thoughtful and emotional, but they also know when to let a song be loose and fun.

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Orange Blood Tracklist

Orange Blood
Evergreen
Roly Poly
Johnson Song
Don’t It Feel Good
Lemon Tree
Bang
Phenomenon
Ruins
Bathroom Light

Orange Blood Track-by-Track Review

1. Orange Blood

The title track is the perfect opener because it immediately puts you inside the world of the album.

“Orange Blood” has that warm, drifting desert sound. The guitars feel loose and sun-soaked, and the song has this calm but slightly trippy energy to it. It does not come crashing in. It slowly pulls you into the album’s atmosphere.

What I like most about this song is how it sets up the whole record. It feels like a song about letting your guard down, getting out of your own head, and trying to feel connected to something bigger than whatever stress is sitting in front of you.

Musically, it is one of those Mt. Joy songs that sounds simple on the surface but has a lot going on underneath. The groove is relaxed, the vocals have a hazy quality, and the whole thing feels like driving through the desert while the sun is starting to drop.

As an opening track, it does exactly what it should. It gives the album its color.

2. Evergreen

“Evergreen” brings the energy up right away.

After the more dreamy feel of “Orange Blood,” this one feels more direct and alive. The guitars have more bite, the rhythm pushes harder, and the chorus has that big Mt. Joy lift that makes the song feel like it would be great live.

This is one of the songs where the band’s chemistry really comes through. The drums give it movement, the guitars keep it bright, and Matt Quinn’s vocals have that familiar mix of looseness and feeling.

The song has a hopeful quality. It feels like trying to trust the people around you when the world keeps changing. That is a big part of why Orange Blood works as an album. It is not saying everything is fine. It is saying things are not always fine, but maybe we can still get through it together.

“Evergreen” is one of the album’s most immediate songs. It is easy to like right away.

3. Roly Poly

“Roly Poly” is a lot deeper than it first sounds.

Musically, it has this bright, bouncy rhythm that gives the song a really unique feel on the album. Matt Quinn has talked about being influenced by Brazilian music while writing it, and you can hear that in the way the groove carries the song forward.

But underneath that upbeat movement, the song feels tied to memory and grief. It is about the way someone can keep rattling around in your mind after they are gone from your life, whether that is through death, a breakup, or just distance.

That contrast makes “Roly Poly” stand out. The music keeps moving, but the meaning has a bittersweet ache to it. It fits Orange Blood really well because so much of the album is about finding color, light, and movement even when something heavy is underneath.

4. Johnson Song

“Johnson Song” is one of the most fun moments on the album, especially once you know the story behind it.

The whole thing feels like Mt. Joy having a good time with an inside joke and turning it into a song that somehow still fits on the album. That is not always easy to do. A song like this adds personality.

Musically, it has a playful, casual feel. It does not feel overthought. It sounds like the band trusted the vibe of the song and let it be what it was.

What makes “Johnson Song” work is that it gives the album a human moment. Not every song needs to be deep in the same way. Sometimes a record needs a track that reminds you these are real people with their own jokes, weird phrases, and stories from being around each other all the time.

That is part of the charm of Mt. Joy. They can write a song like “Ruins” or “Bang,” but they can also have a song like “Johnson Song” and make it feel natural.

5. Don’t It Feel Good

“Don’t It Feel Good” is a breezy, reflective song about trying to stay present in a chaotic world.

The warm groove, clean acoustic strumming, echoing electric guitar, and soft synth textures give it that sun-drenched Orange Blood feel. It has an easy, open-road sound, but there is still some emotional weight underneath it.

It fits the album’s bigger message really well: life can be messy and overwhelming, but sometimes you have to push that mess aside and hold onto whatever peace you can find.

This track keeps the album warm and loose before “Lemon Tree” comes in and gives it one of its strongest hooks.

6. Lemon Tree

“Lemon Tree” is one of the clear standouts on Orange Blood.

This song has such a great balance of brightness and tension. It sounds upbeat, but there is a little edge to it too. That is what makes it interesting.

The guitar work gives the song a lot of movement, and the chorus has that kind of lift that sticks with you after the song is over. It is one of the most polished tracks on the album, but it still has enough character to feel like Mt. Joy.

I also think “Lemon Tree” is a good example of how this album deals with positivity. It is not pretending bad things do not happen. It is more about choosing to keep going and finding something sweet or meaningful even when life feels imperfect.

This is the kind of song that could pull in a casual listener, but it also still fits perfectly inside the album.

7. Bang

“Bang” is where the album gets darker.

That contrast is important. Orange Blood has a lot of warm and hopeful moments, but “Bang” reminds you that the album is not just about feeling good. It is also about fear, violence, grief, and the weight of living through a strange time.

The music has a heavier emotional pull. The piano gives it a lot of soul, and the whole song feels more serious without becoming overly dramatic. It is one of the moments where Matt Quinn’s voice really carries the weight of the song.

Knowing that this song came from darker real-world inspiration makes it hit harder. It feels like the record could have gone in a much heavier direction if this was the emotional center. But that is what makes the title track so important. “Bang” shows the darkness, and “Orange Blood” shows the attempt to zoom out and find light anyway.

For me, “Bang” is one of the more pivotal songs on the album because it gives the record depth.

8. Phenomenon

“Phenomenon” brings a darker, more hypnotic feel to the back half of Orange Blood.

Matt Quinn has described the song as touching on the decay of modern society and the struggle to stay present, and you can feel that weight in the track. There is a love story running through it, but it also feels bigger than that.

Musically, the slow groove, heavy bassline, steady drums, and hazy guitar textures give the song a moody, psychedelic feel. It adds depth before Orange Blood moves into “Ruins.”

9. Ruins

“Ruins” is one of the most powerful songs near the end of Orange Blood.

Matt Quinn has described the song as touching on pollution, societal decay, and the struggle to stay hopeful in a messy world. There is also a romantic side to it, with the feeling of one-sided love and trying to hold onto something that may already be falling apart.

Musically, I love the way the song slowly builds. It starts with a stripped-down, intimate feel before the bass, drums, atmospheric textures, and harmonies push it into something bigger and more emotional.

That mix of darkness and comfort is what makes “Ruins” stand out. It looks at a broken world and a complicated relationship, but somehow still finds a little light in the middle of it.

As the second-to-last track, “Ruins” helps set up the emotional landing of the album. It feels like the record is taking one last look at the messiness of life before ending with “Bathroom Light.”

10. Bathroom Light

“Bathroom Light” is a beautiful, intimate closer for Orange Blood.

The song feels like it is about chasing love however it comes into your life, even if it does not look perfect from the outside. It captures the messy, spontaneous, and unexpected ways people find connection.

I like how ordinary the image of a bathroom light feels. It is not some grand romantic setting, but that is what makes it work. The song feels private, human, and real, like love happening in a moment that only makes sense to the people living it.

Musically, it brings the album down gently with a softer, warmer feel. After all the psychedelic color and bigger themes running through Orange Blood, “Bathroom Light” ends the album with something simple, honest, and full of heart.

Where Orange Blood Fits in Mt. Joy’s Catalog

Orange Blood feels like an important album for Mt. Joy because it sounds like a band growing into itself.

Their self-titled debut introduced the warmth, folk-rock feel, and songwriting that made people pay attention. Rearrange Us went deeper emotionally and had a darker, more polished feel in spots. Orange Blood feels like the next step because it brings those sides together while adding more color and looseness.

It is not just a collection of good songs. It has a real mood. The album has desert air around it. It feels bright, strange, reflective, and human. That gives it an identity.

I also think this album shows why Mt. Joy has become such an easy band to root for. They are not trying to sound like the coolest band in the room. They sound like a group of musicians who genuinely enjoy playing together and are still trying to figure life out like everyone else.

That comes through on this album in a really natural way.

Buy Orange Blood on Vinyl & CD on Amazon

Shop Mt. Joy Vinyl, CDs & Merch on Amazon

Explore the Orange Blood album further with our song reviews of “Orange Blood,” “Lemon Tree” & “Evergreen.”

Orange Blood by Mt. Joy Meaning: The Story Behind the Song’s Desert Inspiration

Lemon Tree by Mt. Joy Meaning: A Bright Song About Letting Go and Finding the Good

Evergreen by Mt. Joy Meaning: Finding Hope When Life Keeps Changing

Final Thoughts

Orange Blood is a warm, weird, beautiful album about finding light in a world that does not always make sense.

There are songs that feel happy, songs that feel heavy, songs that feel playful, and songs that feel deeply personal. That mix is what makes the album feel real.

The music has plenty of the things Mt. Joy fans already love: great grooves, warm guitars, strong melodies, and Matt Quinn’s emotional but relaxed vocal style. But there is also more atmosphere here. More desert glow. More little details that make the album stand out.

For me, Orange Blood is one of those albums that gets better when you listen to it all the way through. The singles are strong on their own, but the full record has a flow that makes the songs hit differently together.

It is an album about chaos, but it is also an album about connection. It is about being present. It is about loving people while you can. It is about finding beauty in whatever strange light is still shining through.

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**FAQ About Orange Blood by Mt. Joy**

When did Mt. Joy release Orange Blood?

Mt. Joy released Orange Blood on June 17, 2022.

What is Orange Blood by Mt. Joy about?

Orange Blood is about finding beauty, connection, and hope during chaotic times. The album touches on love, loss, fear, friendship, and trying to stay present when the world feels overwhelming.

Why is the album called Orange Blood?

The title came from the idea of sunlight as a kind of life force. The desert setting, especially Joshua Tree, helped shape the album’s warm, orange, sunlit feeling.

Is Orange Blood a good Mt. Joy album?

Yes. Orange Blood is a great Mt. Joy album; it is filled with strong songs that are easy to come back to. “Orange Blood,” “Evergreen,” “Lemon Tree,” “Bang,” “Ruins,” and “Bathroom Light” all bring something different, and the band’s musicianship shines in a new way with the album’s more psychedelic rock feel.

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