Springtime Carnivore

Autumn Tone

Nov 10, 2014 Web Exclusive By Austin Trunick

Springtime Carnivore‘s origin story is one that feels plucked from Dust Bowl-era Americana: a former tightrope walker from a traveling circus troupe rediscovered her family’s dusty old piano while rehabilitating from a leg injury. That would have been an uncommon enough tale in 1930, but it’s even more so in 2014.

Co-produced by Richard Swift (Foxygen, The Shins, The Black Keys), these 14 tracks are mostly upbeat pop songs featuring big hooks and sun-faded electric organ; each was built around songwriter Greta Morgan’s fantastic voice and are almost uniformly dripping with reverb. The whistle-driven single “Name On a Matchbook” is the LP’s star attraction, but the low-key ballad “Other Side of the Boundary” displays a different, quieter side to Morgan as her voice takes on a sadder twang. Whether you can believe Morgan’s bio or not, the Los Angeles-based artist’s debut is one of the most promising starts of this year. (www.springtimecarnivore.com)

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