Carl HS – Off to LA
The world’s a pretty small place if you really think about it. The more you wander, the faster you turn, the more you’re bound to the same old problems. That’s enough to make a regular man want to give up, cower away in fear, give up the fight.
It’s only spiritual seekers and artists who have it made here. Their interests prohibit them from seeing the other edges, from distinguishing the limits, from feeling like there’s simply too little to explore.
And, as Carl HS proves, when you give either of those two categories an audience to perform to, what they are able to produce next always comes back improved, finessed, and tailored to answer some of the questions of the people stuck inside the barriers of the physical world.
Carl HS sounds like he spends a lot of time daydreaming. Thankfully, he’s turned that into more than just time-wasting. The Swedish musician blends crooning, Beatlesque melodies and a natural eagerness to entertain the audience to create fully-completed fantasies on “Off to LA.” Go ahead and ask the artist for direction in this parallel universe that they’ve built. They’ll know where every street goes. And, hearing those melodies sung with such confidence and glee, it’s hard to believe any longer that the world is as small as we’ve been told.
The Young Birds – Plasticine
A lot of bands don’t sound too good, do they? And, when saying this, I’m not just referring to the group annoying you when they practice with the garage door open, or the people who get to play a small club once every few months. Those, for the most part, are charming.
No, a lot of the very famous bands don’t sound too good. And, it’s because of people like yours truly that they’re tolerated, or even get written about and added to lists celebrating the most important bands to have ever opened up their amps and encouraged mass consumption.
And abstract art, like abstract rock n’ roll, has its make-believe fans; let’s not forget that, for the most part, the whole pop business is a beauty talent. Of course, a band like The Young Birds should find it easier to move through the world.
You won’t be writing any angry letters after hearing “Plasticine,” the friendly, jangly folk-rock designed by The Young Birds. But just like an old Steve Martin comedy, it’s designed well enough and delivered with enough good intentions that it’s hard not to find yourself enjoying and, maybe, even singing along. Don’t worry! The crusty critics are also singing when nobody’s around to watch.
