CHUCK CARRIER - SONGS FOR 27 (2002, SELF RELEASED)
Chuck Carrier - vocals, all instruments

Background
On 'Songs For 27', Chuck Carrier has finally found his identity, both personally and creatively. His former band, Marathon, garnered a fair bit of attention with its album 'The Year of You' but even though that record was a decent effort, it's not a patch on this, Carrier's first solo release. Being freed from the shackles of a band environment seems to have had a liberating effect on Carrier's song writing, as 'Songs For 27' is an intensely introspective collection of songs, penned with an incredible sense of depth and maturity in which Carrier metaphorically spews his guts.

The Songs
But it's Carrier's ear for a slow-burning melody that really excites as well his ability to weave delicate acoustic patterns and flourishes on songs like the exquisite 'Endless'. The album opens with the high-energy anthem, 'Anything' yet the rest of the album takes a much more considered pace with songs like the brooding 'Smokestacks' and the atmospheric, almost hypnotic 'Oyster Mud' displaying a low-key vibe to Carrier's music. 'Oyster Mud' in particular, demonstrates Carrier's talent for personal, cathartic lyrics that somehow remain oblique and warrant repeated listens to discover their true interpretation. It's an incredibly affecting song indicating the coming of age of Carrier as a songwriter. Indeed, the general theme of the album is adulthood and all its associated complexities, as the excellent 'Trampoline' makes reference to: 'I'm wiping off the grease paint/I'm letting go of my glory days/What used to be a joke/Now seems like a disgrace.' Although the general lyrical tone of the album is melancholy, Carrier's melodies can be relatively bright and optimistic -- 'Love Songs' has a distinct Norah Jones laid-back groove to it, and the mysterious 'Moon Flower' and the wonderfully uplifting closing track, 'Onlookers' both share a partial sense of exuberance at least.

In Summary
The only criticism I can level is that 'Songs For 27' contains only nine songs, but this is tempered by the captivating, profound texture of those compositions. In a musical climate where youthful singer-songwriters with an interesting voice are welcomed, Chuck Carrier could well be about to have his say.

URL: www.chuckcarrier.com

Track Listing:
01 Anything
02 Smokestacks
03 Oyster Mud
04 Endless
05 On Your Side
06 Faint Disturbance
07 Moonflower
08 Moonflower
09 Love Songs

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