Album Review

Carousels And Limousines – Home To Andy’s

• 6th Jul 2013

As debut albums go, this one is up there with the very best of them.

When a press release namechecks the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Ryan Adams and The Faces it sets the bar pretty damned high. But this album lives up to the hype with its swaggering blues influenced rock. Carousels And Limousines have the songs and all of the musical ability needed to play a British version of classic Jersey Shore rock that sounds fresh rather than clichéd. And there is enough variety within the eleven tracks to show that they can do far more than just rock it out with the best of them.

Carousels and Limousines started off in their native Bath as Dirty Kiss and then Grace, formed by school friends Sam Gotley (lead vocals, guitar), Jamie Wales (guitar, vocals) and Finn McNulty (bass, vocals). New drummer Martyn James completed the band and the name was changed to that of a track from a Grace EP. After a few months of gigging and developing new songs they went into the studio with producer Richard Causon (Kings Of Leon, Tom Jones, Rufus Wainwright) – and the result was this excellent full length debut.

The album starts with the title track and takes about ten seconds to get up to full speed. After a guitar intro the drums crash in, the guitars and organ are straight into the groove and Sam Gotley’s fine vocals burst through. Gotley’s voice is powerful and raw, with the type of harsh edged, whisky soaked quality that suits rock music so well. One And Only has a similar tempo, a fast and melodic love song that is passionate and intense. The simple chorus is the kind that sticks in your mind and you will find yourself singing it hours later.

Lead single 17’s is a stylish song that uses change of pace well. A solid guitar riff backs Gotley in a great blue collar rock style love song. Access is slightly slower with more of the blues influence coming through, before Greasy Hands takes things in a totally different direction. A slow song that begins with only an organ backing the vocals before an acoustic guitar joins in, it works well.

Second single Spider has an old style rock n roll feel, a solid bass line and some great lead guitar work both featuring prominently. And Country Soul is different again, the reverb heavy a cappella intro leading into a rocker with a country edge to it. This one is big and anthemic and a female vocal near the end adds a twist to this standout track.

I’ll Run takes us back to the solid rocking style with some lovely lead guitar work, while Roll Around starts slowly but again launches into rock territory as the guitars go to work behind the vocals. Maria is another stand out track, starting with a bluesy guitar part before Gotley’s vocals come in, backed by the organ. It’s a great, passionate love song that has a simple chorus and another fine guitar solo.

Carousels And Limousines gives a lovely ending to the album, a near six minute long acoustic guitar and harmonica track that has a much slower pace, yet retains the same lyrical intensity as the rest of the album. Few bands have the musical range to go from big rockers to acoustic tracks and do both well. It is a mark of real quality to do so on a debut album.

Carousels And Limousines are clearly a band who are going places. This is a confident and accomplished debut album that features well written songs and a sound that builds nicely on its classic rock influences. It is not easy for a British band to take a typically American sound and adapt it, rather than simply imitate it, but Carousels And Limousines do so very well.

Many comparisons have already been made to a lot of very good bands. For me The Gaslight Anthem’s fine album The ’59 Sound is perhaps the best point of reference to the varied sound that Gotley and co have – and that’s a big compliment. This band is now at the top of my “must see live” list.

Venue: Home To Andy’s
Support Band: Pulteney Records