Album— Knock on the Orange Door

Album artwork by Guleus E’xavier

We’re a little over a week from the release of Knock on the Orange Door, Amber Navran’s reintroduction to the world through the lens of production. The album title is a warm memory of one of Amber’s old residences, as she would instruct loved ones knock on the orange door when they came to visit. The name of her current studio also happens to be “Orange Door Studios”, so this project is deeply personal to her journey. While the album was largely assembled by Amber herself, she invited a few friends to help string it all together. For example, Sam Brewer, co-owner of the legendary Blue Dream Studios, was tasked with the mixing and mastering the album. When asked about inspiration, she credits the late J Dilla and a push from Terrace Martin to bring this idea to life.

The project is just under half an hour, comprised of short but fulfilling beats, showing Amber’s range in instrumentation but also giving you that familiar dreamy hint of Moonchild in the fabric of each track. Amber notes the lyrics were from earlier works, saved for future projects. The samples that appear on the album were from a familiar cast in the Moonchild universe. Some of those acts include Morgan Burrs of Butcher Brown, Säje and Kiefer.

There’s much to love about this album but what’s sat with me is how each instrumental guides the listener to an emotion or illustrates a scenario in their mind. The track titled “Away From The Noise” could easily score a scene in a movie, such as a couple working through an obstacle to keep their love intact. Another track titled “Smile” feels like a good day and the flute offers a blissful texture that reinforces the feeling of sunlight gracing your skin.

Staying true to the theme, all social components supporting the album have been covered in several hues of Orange. From elements on the wall to the vibrant shirts in each reel, the audience is invited to a masterclass in giving a new breath of life to color, similarly to the music found in her catalog.

To no surprise, Amber has more than proven the ability to self-produce and orchestrate an audio narrative. But what remains consistent (and impressive) in her product is her courage to explore. Allowing her curiousity to lead, exploring the depths of tones and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible within a melody.

If there’s one thing we can predict following the release of this production masterpiece, it’s that we’ll begin to celebrate her contributions beyond songwriting, vocals, or woodwind placements, as her name will appear more often in production credits as an official producer. And that real time growth is amazing to witness if you’ve followed her journey from the beginning. To that, please join me in a thunderous applause for Amber Navran. You can listen to Knock on the Orange Door here.