My New Friend
Something about L.A. duo Carousel and their pensive brand of brooding, but sticky sweet take on pop music has had a most resonant affect on much of the staff here at TMN since their debut EP 26 Allston. After recently wrapping up a much revered country wide tour in support of Cherub, the former Berklee School of Music students finally had the chance to pen another original, and once again we were struck by the simplistic beauty of Carousel’s sound. “My New Friend” gets behind a Jackson Phillip’s keyed synth line delivered with all of the careful bombast of an early 80’s Duran Duran hook, but with the type of indie sensibility that could be found on a Neon Indian composition. The pair’s subdued vocal incantations echo harmoniously off of each other, invoking the kind of contented nostalgia that has its listener harkening back to their first middle-school make out session, which depending on your experience should be a mostly good thing. It’s safe to say, the boys hit the mark, and with Summer nipping at our heels, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
