Carnivals waste no time in getting to where they want to be with their new release ‘City of Skulls’. Opening with a raucous explosion of forceful guitars and drums, overseen by the lead guitar (and subsequent vocal) hook – aptly referential to the clear psych influences. One can’t help but notice the South-East Londoner’s influences, range from contemporary psych like Tame Impala and Growlers, the latter most notable in the varied yet grounding bassline of the track, and the more time honoured sounds of The Doors.
The song itself moves gracefully, with the aforementioned pop laced guitar hook remaining prevalent in various forms, through verses and choruses all suitably different from each other but linked in such a beautiful and well thought out manner. Well-paced breakdowns and slowdowns, such as in the break where we hear the title lyric, are perfectly harmonised, before swiftly moving on back to that main idea of the song; that oh-so memorable guitar and vocal hook.
The unsung hero of this track is the ending bridge-solo; a section which, with a goosebump inducing guitar and bass duet, perfectly captures the essence of the song. It’s an upbeat yet lyrically macabre track that successfully encapsulates the psychedelic vibe in a modern setting.
Catch Carnivals playing on January 27th at The Rocksteady in London, as part of Independent Venue week.
