Charlotte Carpenter - A Modern Rage 
Release Date: Out Now
This, this right here, this is a stunning album. I could leave the review there and say no more but what else am I going to do with my Thursday evening? Nothing good. So, let's dive in, shall we? Charlotte Carpenter's 'A Modern Rage' opens with the atmospheric, David Lynch inspired 'The Call' which sets the tone brilliantly as lonely guitar notes and somber vocals ring out in the darkest part of the night. 'Spinning Plates' struts and gurns with a more rock'n'roll attitude like a hybrid of Bowie, Jagger and Bolan injected with the spirit of PJ Harvey. The opening trio of songs is completed by 'You're My Reason Why', a piano based melody full of pure, honest and unwavering love which swells in to a song of crowd pleasing proportions in the vein of Elbow at their grandest.
There's a sadness to 'Not Good Enough' that makes you want to rest your head against the dry side of a rain spattered window with the relief that only comes from letting yourself grieve. The rock'n'roll vibes are back on 'Like A Hurricane' which finds the perfect middle ground between First Aid Kit and Larkin Poe before 'Dolores' does the soft shoe shuffle while Carpenter's vocal grows steadily from a whisper to an altogether more defiant sound. The piano is back on 'Molly's Ballad' which is, predictably, not a thrash metal anthem but rather a soft and swooning melody full of goodbyes, regret and missed opportunities. The chugging guitars of 'Fine Line' mix brilliantly with chimed melodies until the song erupts in to a triumphant and soaring sense of release.
The slow, acoustic strum of 'Secret Second' feels like the morning after the night before when the rain has stopped and the sun comes out but still with those emotive and soulful vocals adding depth. Penultimate track 'Draw the Line' builds ever so slowly and purposefully as strings make the guitar swell and the vocals revel in the luxury of space. Then, finally, we return to the piano once more for 'Bigger Then You' for the kind of song that John Lewis might be scouting for their Christmas campaign. I'll double down on what I said at the beginning, this is a stunning album from a hugely talented songwriter who knows how to deliver a song without ever going over the top. Beautiful stuff.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/ccarpentermusic
Live Dates:
22nd November – Folklore Rooms, Brighton
23rd November – Blue Moon, Cambridge
24th November – Firebug, Leicester
28th November – Oporto Leeds
29th November – Gullivers, Manchester
30th November – The Railway, Winchester
4th December – The Lexington, London
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