Adam Carpenter - Obliterate/Ugly EP
Adam Carpenter is a Welsh singer-songwriter currently based in Manchester.
Following prestigious festival slots at Glastonbury and 2000 Trees, Adam released their debut album Tidal Wave in 2018, a collection of songs primarily about their struggles with mental health and understanding their own identity.
A follow up album Views from Barry Island was entirely self recorded and released in 2019, a ten track album of songs written and recorded in one week. The strength of these releases allowed them to go on to support some of their favourite artists, including C Duncan, Adult Mom and Nervus.
Adam Carpenter is excited to return with their new EP Obliterate/Ugly, released through Manchester’s Bread Records today, Friday 8 May.
The EP has been preceded by two singles, Obliterate Me which released on 13 March, and 2:24 released on 17 April.
Of lead single Obliterate Me, Adam says:
This song is the first song I wrote for my new EP. As soon as I wrote it I knew it had to be the opening track. It’s one of the most direct, punchy songs I’ve ever written, I’ve drawn from some of my ‘punkier’ inspirations such as Jeff Rosenstock and Fresh. The lyrics are a nakedly honest stream of consciousness about the struggle of distancing myself from my anxious thoughts. But more importantly than that, it’s a fun rocker of a song that I can’t wait to perform live.
Of the EP itself, Adam says:
It is a collection of my most sincere and honest songs yet. Each track is about a specific moment of my life, intended to look at the past 6 years and the mental struggles I’ve experienced over that time. It’s got some of my most daring songs yet, with some new production choices for me and lyrics where I’ve been starker about my mental state than I ever have before.
Obliterate/Ugly is released today, Friday 8 May 2020, the opening track is Obliterate Me and it’s a great way to start the EP, it’s a fast paced guitar riffs punk banger, and touches upon a lock of self confidence or self esteem. I particularly loved the lyrics “but where will I go ?, What should I do ?, I’m flotsam that’s drifting away from you, And what do I want ? Who can I be ? I’m a target, obliterate me”.
Track 2 is Reluctant Alchemist and it’s another acoustic guitar driven song, it’s got a very catchy melody which has your head bobbing along as you absorb the very personal lyrics, my favourite verse being “I’m arguing with tigers in a language I don’t understand, I’m walking on eggshells that I’ve carefully arranged by hand, I’m running through a fire after showering in oil, I’m leaving my common sense behind and returning to home soil”. 2.24 is up next and is much more melancholy, again the melody is very infectious, another toe tapped and again some very insightful lyrics “Up and down we spiral out again, we drank too much, bled out and lost our friends, But at least we get the chance to try again”.
Ugly Piano is next and has a more folky feel to it, maybe due to the vocal sounding very close to spoken word, the emotion and heart clutching lyrics continue in this song with the words “the sleeping pills are cheaper than I previously thought, I scuttle like a spider under fear of being caught, no shame in being sad but scared to get essential help, I couldn’t face the pain, I couldn’t recognise myself”. Come Down and Sing speeds the EP up again, it’s got a very indie rock feel to it and again gets your shoulders moving, this moving of the body is becoming a theme to the EP with every track grabbing your attention and make you listen, not just for the melodies but also the intimate lyrics as outlined in the opening verse “colour returned to my cheeks watching my favourite band in the August sun, feelings I’d repressed bubble up, the future has begun, they showed me it was okay to be the way I am, and as long as I’m not dying I can exist without a plan”.
The final track The Hands of Time is an excellent song to finish, once again the trademark catchy melody is in place, as is the very well written lyrics, this one particularly describing the impact time has on life, as the song fades out the last verse sings about “when all is done and all is said, this world was not designed for folk like you or me, but if there’s only one phrase left, the hands of time will move, but they will not move me, the hands of time will move, but they will not move me, the hands of time will move, but they will not move me”.
I loved this EP, it’s great songwriting but at its simplistic best, the focus is on the melodies and the lyrics and they are both outstanding. The melodies prick your ears from note one and the emotional, personal and intimate lyrics make you want to listen to the story being told, it’s skilled writing and should attract a lot of attention, let’s hope it gets the recognition it deserves.
Tracklist
Obliterate Me
Reluctant Alchemist
2.24
Ugly Piano
Come Down and Sing
The Hands of Time
Give Oblterate/Ugly a stream now:
https://open.spotify.com/album/4jszSRx3K3F9T0GAyZoaEw?si=7Mvp5ywoQUa1Ys7gD-dcKQ
Adam Carpenter can be followed on Website, Facebook. and Instagram:
https://www.adamcarpenter.org/
