Carousel is the outstanding new EP from Vancouver’s Slightest Clue, a band that initially started as a bedroom project for vocalist / guitarist Malcom McLaren but has since evolved into a full-fledged four-piece. Lyrically the EP follows the arc of a relationship from beginning to end, while musically it is an amalgamation of styles including post-punk, pop, blues, distortion heavy rock, psychedelia and more. Opener “These Days”, is dark, but poppy tune with a heavy post punk edge, tons of hooks and a haunting, somewhat psychedelic outro that leads into “Why Can’t I Call You” which has a slinky, head-bopping groove that is tension-filled and builds with intensity as the song progresses. One of my favorite tracks on the EP, “When You Wake Up” is absolutely hypnotic, starting as a slow, soulful blues tune with sultry vocals from Hannah Kruse, but with an undercurrent of tension that explodes into an all-out rocker full of noisy, distorted guitars. Driven by a deep, throbbing bass and thick, distorted, angular guitars along with McLaren’s panicked sounding, at times high pitched vocals, complemented perfectly with Kruse’s backing vocals, “Suit Uptight!” brings to mind bands like Gang Of Four and Wire. The title track is the perfect closer and it is an absolute powerhouse. It opens with a slow, swirling, very melancholy psychedelic vibe (complemented nicely with cello) that is reminiscent of Radiohead (especially the vocals), then intensifies and slows back down before building to a climactic ending. Also, the back-and-forth vocal interplay here between McLaren and Kruse works brilliantly. Carousel is a very impressive EP that manages to stay cohesive while displaying alot of diversity and makes me excited to see where they go from here.
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