Where to begin... This band hails from Sweden, the neverending prog haven. Carptree will be performing at ROSfest in 2007 so I decided I'd better get to know their music. Live performances are typically, although not always, better when you are at least somewhat familiar with a band's music.
What a discovery this band is! There will be those who compare lead vocalist Niclas Flinck to Peter Gabriel. Sure, I hear that. But his voice has a uniqueness and after a few listens I don't think of Mr. Gabriel any more. In fact, his voice (and the music for that matter) may be more closely related to that of The Watch, the fantastic Italian band who clearly makes no secret of who their biggest inspiration is.
As a point of reference, Carptree's music is not as complicated as The Watch's but that is not a bad thing. The melodies and ideas are fresh and interesting; this is very good song writing. There's no question that the music falls squarely in the old Genesis vein but saying that does a disservice to the band. Rather than hearing near duplication of the old Genesis sound, you just hear a band you've never heard before, a band that you would have loved in any era.
The album begins in a deliciously ominous way with a track called "Titans Clash Aggressively to Keep an Even Score". Now that's an awesome song title! And the music lives up to the great name. This is a terrific choice for the album opener and similarly I expect that they may open their concert with this number.
Carptree wastes no time in hitting the high point on the album for me. The second track "Sunshine Waters" is supreme in its simple and beautiful message along the lines of the typical optimistic Yes song. Beginning with an odd sound reminiscent of Gabriel and even the bizarreness of some of "The Lamb" songs, the song quickly changes chords to the optimistic and upbeat chorus that sticks in my head in a good way. The piano part in this song is pure bliss and the drums backing up the piano line are a blast. As this song cruises toward the finish (an ideal driving song by the way), synthesizers and vocal harmonies soar. Wow!
A common trait of good albums is that the songs fit together in a way that takes you on a journey that makes sense - highs, lows, quiet passages and heavy hitters that make an impact more impressive because of the quiet parts. No one is better at putting an album together than Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree. The sum of the songs should be greater than its parts to make a truly great album. Carptree has clearly learned this lesson and the order and moods of the songs help make this album great. Quieter songs such as "The Weakening Sound" and "The Man You Just Became" (another great song title!) set the mood for the powerful "Tilting the Scales" and "Man Made Machine" which follow these songs, respectively.
Throughout this album, Carptree finds catchy musical phrases and pairs them with memorable lyrics. The other aspect of this band that I really appreciate is the quality of the vocals. I can understand most of the lyrics without reading the pamphlet!
Needless to say, I highly recommend this album. There are other gems on this album that I will let the listener discover on his/her own. There are discoveries here sprinkled throughout.
Check out one complete song at http://www.rosfest.com/Performers-2007/Carptree.htm
Rating: 9.0 out of 10
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
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3 comments:
Ignore that advice from Jeffrey. Who wants to write a review about a cd that sucks? More important for those of us on a limited budget is to give us a qualitative feel for the album so we know whether WE are likely to like it (regardless of your opinion). For example, voice like Roine Stolt, would help some decide they like it, while I probably wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole (sorry, Roine, if you are reading this...I was not a Dylan fan either). We can read past your enthusiasm if you give us the key words.
Thanks for performing this service!
...which brings up a good point. As you read Kevin's reviews, and after purchasing the cd, whether you concur with his high rating, or you don't, it would be helpful for you to produce your own ratings and share them here along with helpful verbeage in the comments section, so we get the benefit of two views. If one knows the commenters' preferences, the 2nd opinion can be calibrated. Of course, some secondary endorsements or disendorsements, would be worth more than others! And of course the blog owner can delete comments too obscenity-laced for progressive company, so keep it clean, boys! :)
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