A new record I've been aware has made something of a splash without getting round to yet. Well better late than never. The eponymous debut album from British band caroline, apparently five years in the making, has finally made it, and for those who have been waiting for it, it will be well worth the wait.
I'm not one of that number, but I'm very pleased to hear it too. It's a repetitive, minimalist guitar driven record, apparently at least partially aligned to the Brixton Windmill Post Punk scene. But don't let that put you off. It's a lot more immediately pleasing to my ears than Black Country High Road for example.
Instead I can only compare it to an unholy marriage between an Appalchian Mountains fiddle folk operation and the opening section of Sonic Youth's Teen Age Riot before that unstoppable riff section kicks in. It's mournful. It takes its time, but establishes and maintains a hypnotic, graceful trance, track after track that's really something else.
An octet of musicians who certainly don't look as if they should be in a band together, caroline stand slightly apart from pretty much anything around at the moment, although comparisons could probably be made with the likes of Mogwai and God Speed You Black Emperor who establish similar sonic atmospheres.
What the songs are about are anyone's guess frankly.It's all rather end of the world stuff and given world events since the band started ten years ago, you can't be too surprised. Anyway caroline is a text book lesson in taking your time. Sometimes it's the right thing to do.
No comments:
Post a Comment