Rating: ****1/2
CarnyMusic is the solo project of Mike Carnahan from the SF-based band The Green Door. I reviewed their last record right here on Now Hear This and I really enjoyed it.
I'm excited to see what this short collection of tunes is all about and whether Carnahan deviates from the grimy western-rock of The Green Door at all.
I'm sitting in a hipster cafe in the hi-desert just east of Los Angeles and it seems like the perfect environment to dive into this project called "CarnyMusic".
Listen to a track and follow along after the jump.
Watch the music video for "Close Your Eyes" on Youtube here:
The opening track "Riptide" is a master-work of modern folk and blues. It's well-sung and earnest in lyrics and delivery, it's a great way to set the mood for this EP. Really solid start here. "Beetle in the Sand" is a Dylan-esque number that continues the theme of dark-folk. I really like this one as well. In fact, I might even like it more than the first track. Moody and excellent. "Start Another Week" reminds me more of an early Elliott Smith tune than anything else. This one is a bit sadder in tone, but every bit as beautiful thanks to some amazing acoustic guitar work. "Close Your Eyes" is grimy and the track most resembling Carnahan's other project, The Green Door. This one ends in a dark western theme and I think that's a perfect way to end it actually.
I've liked few independent EP releases in the last 18 months more than this one. It's an excellent, all-too-short journey with a guy you wouldn't be surprised seeing jumping from one train to the next, one town to another. The mood is deep and real and I highly reccomend checking this one out.