Carswell and Hope comprises Kansas-based Limerick native Nick Carswell and his four-piece US band. They formed in the college town of Lawrence in 2011. Playing an intelligent mix of vintage rock and pop, with an experimental leaning, they’ve performed around the American Mid-West to growing acclaim.
With plaintive piano, lush strings and gentle vocals, ‘Before’ is a strong opening salvo and sets out the group’s manifesto. The textured, shape-shifting melody is taken through several tempo changes, climaxing in a melodramatic flourish. It works. ‘Hunger’ blends Elton John and Todd Rundgren and nods to the Beatles’ ‘Help’ with the lyric: “When I was younger, so much younger than today.”
‘Haze Of The Sun’ – a decent piano and organ ballad transforming, half-way through, into a guitar-fuelled rocker – is less ambitious. ‘Drinking At The Crossroads’ is a languid, strummed ditty about “drinking beer in the sunshine”; its Beach Boys harmonies and a sunny feel suggest it might make a strong single.
The only downside is a tendency to repeat melodic ideas. ‘The Owning’, on the other hand, is more experimental and ‘alternative’ sounding and ‘The One’ boasts a Steely Dan (‘Any Major Dude’) influence. Downbeat closer ‘The Long Goodbye of The Profiteer’ finds Carswell in a more philosophical mood, once again impressing with a complex arrangement. Carswell and Hope will shortly embark on an eight-date Irish tour. They are well-worth checking out.
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