Some nights you stay up searching for something to do. The world outside your door is pulsing (especially here in New York City) and staying in means missing out. Some nights you rally and drag yourself to go out while in the back of your mind you’re wishing you were in bed with tea and Netflix. Then there are nights where everything is simply perfect. The vibes between you and your friends are in sync with the vibrations of the city; the night is yours and nothing – not even the sun can take it away from you. It’s on nights like this that anything can happen, and anything probably will (rightly so, you own the night). Perhaps you’ll make a new friend or run into an old one. Perhaps you’ll try something crazy just ’cause you want a good story to tell in the future. Or perhaps you’ll meet someone significant; someone who challenges you and makes your cynical self question the existence of “love at first sight.” Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. The point here is that – while sleep is a necessary part of life (blah blah blah) – there is a magic in the night that requires us to let go of expectations and the thought that we’re missing out on something, and to just let go and let the night guide you.
I’m going to return to my last “perhaps” moment because that’s the driving force behind this track.
Six drinks and we’ve had enough
Till the next one coming up
Must say glad I found you
I never pictured you and I
My new addiction, you.”
Carousel – a Brooklyn band worth watching this year – has captured the youthful joy of new lovers in their new single off their upcoming second EP. I thought the original was a minimalist feast, but The Soundmen have minimized the minimalists. Gone are the subtle hints of The Postal Service (which do not deter from the original track’s lush sound). Instead The Soundmen have added texture to the track by removing it. A simple pulsing synth melody carries the track as a drum line creeps its way beneath dreamy vocals. It’s infectious and worthy of listening to over and over again. There are moments in the chorus where the line “stay awake” dissolves into the soundscape and the production picks up to further hypnotize us that keeps the song alive. It’s brilliant in its simplicity. Carousel’s sound is far from cookie-cutter easy-listening. No, this is easy-listening for the dawning of the space age (something we here at EMPT are gladly welcoming).
No matter what you’ve got planned for this weekend, here’s to hoping you find a reason to stay awake and suspend your expectations. It’s a helluva ride when you do.