I’ve written about Carosel before so it won’t be a surprise to anyone for me to say I really like them. Their long awaited Star EP is set for release on January 28th.
The Parisian based Irish duo of Michelle Phelan and Pete McGrane possess a pop sound with flourishes of jazz, soul and bossa nova rhythms topped off with a retro feel, making their sound one to cherish.
The four track EP starts with the title track, ‘Star’ (A Previous Tune of The Week). Catchy rhythms off set with piano and a infectious bass line make this instantly memorable. Phelan’s vocals are beautifully understated, which seem to play nicely in opposition to the song lyrically, (it’s about celebrity culture) and her choral harmonies bounce out of the stereo.
Production throughout the EP is second to none, everything meshes seamlessly. There are nice little surprises for the listener, accordians, military style drum sounds, quirky little swirls you can’t quite put your finger on. Carosel manage to show us different sides to them while maintaining their retro feel. ‘Something’ is a throwback to the sixties but remains contemporary with its synth lines.
‘Easy’ starts off stripped back to just guitar and finger clicks. Phelan’s vocals are more to the fore here and the addition of the male backing vocals add something a little different. Delicate brass and double bass make this a track for a Summer’s evening.
‘Take Me‘ is a bold and brash song with a memorable hook. Great use of strings add to the fat bass sound. A great pop song that should be on your radio.
Carosel are different. While many are trying to be the next great indie band, they have stood tall and produced a great EP of pop delights. Now where’s album number 2 please?