Erland And The Carnival

Key tracks:

Was You Ever See
The Echoing Green
Disturbed This Morning

Label: Static Caravan

Description:

Swirling psychedelia, pushed into the present by three accomplished mavericks.

Erland and the Carnival comprise a relatively star studded lineup of a gent named Erland Cooper, Simon Tong from The Verve and the bloke from The Firemen that wasn't Paul McCartney, David Nock. Unlike the ocean of strummed acoustic guitars that share a genre and claim to be folk, Erland and the Carnival manage to create some rather haunting noises in the form of keyboards and reverbed guitar, which impose an odd juxtaposition to a number of semi-upbeat choral hooks.

“Was You Ever See”, the previously released single and a standout track off the forthcoming self titled debut album, is based on a 19th century Welsh song about a Monmouthshire ironmonger who builds his own steam engine and train track only to discover it doesn't fit through the tunnel for which it was designed. Such archaic referencing sculpts just one element of the century perverting band. Extravagant nods to the current with Nock's contemporary production and a respectful tipping of the hat to 60's psychedelia complete the bands decennial sound.

With similarities to Alex Turner's (of Arctic Monkeys) unforeseen pop success story, The Last Shadow Puppets, accomplished artists such as The Divine Comedy and bands of the 60's rock and roll era such as The Doors, Erland and the Carnival have contemporary mass appeal whilst remaining personal and idiosyncratic.