by Kevin Diamond
Athens gets most of the Georgia-based indie cred; from R.E.M. to the B-52s to Of Montreal, there’s no denying that the city has been father to some amazing bands. Recently, however, some new young bands have begun crafting a strong case for Atlanta being crowned the new Georgian hot spot of cool. Case in point: Carnivores and their album All Night Dead USA.
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I was introduced to these guys in a live setting, and they absolutely tore the roof off the Cake Shop (which is quite a task seeing as the Cake Shop stage is in the basement). The unhinged performances I witnessed that night are nicely captured and distilled on All Night. But it’s the more reserved moments on the album that really impress me.
Carnivores begin and end the album with songs that disperse with the more frantic energy populating the rest of the disc. Opener “For Griffen” takes a page from the Walkmen playbook and a dirty dusting of lo-fi freakness. Album closer “Great Grandmother” is a piano-driven ballad that sounds as if it was recorded in the back of a rusty abandoned warehouse. In between, Carniovores use samples and sound collages to weave their way from track to track, creating a punk pastiche of textures and hooks.
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Standouts “Heart of Copper,” “Organ Trail,” and “A Crime” are catchy and accessible while at the same time maintaining their kinship with the fuzzed-out aesthetic popular in today’s lo-fi indie rock scene. The instant comparison is to Abe Vigado, who had previously cornered the market in Tropical Punk. The thing is, Carnivores do it better. Their songwriting is sturdier, the performances are stronger, and the album is more cohesive than anything Ave Vigoda has released.
Don’t take my word for it. Take a listen to “Organ Trail.” Three of Carnivores’ members take turns leading the group: Bassist Phillip Frobos, guitarist Nate Higgins and keyboardist Caitlin Lang, who’s the singer here on Organ Trail. The interplay between her sweetly detuned vocals on the verse, and the tortured yelp she lets loose on the chorus showcases her immense talent and should give you a taste of the joy of watching her perform. It’s impossible to listen to or watch them without planting a smile on your face.
Songs like “Heart of Copper” and “A Crime” are catchy and well-written pop, without a doubt, but the band is able to balance their more poppy elements with a love of noise and psychedelica that seeps out of the corners of every song. Coming off as a sort of lost early years Flaming Lips album, All Night Dead USA is a noisy, dirty pop record that should be played early and often. Finally the punks are taking acid, and it sounds great.
