Atlanta trio the Carolyn play with enough bouncy hooks and scrappy urgency to get lumped in with the pop-punk crowd, but ultimately their music feels a tad more aggressive and anthemic (in the Springsteen sense of the term). Or at least that’s the vibe I’m getting from “A.M.,” the new single the group unveiled late last week. The three-piece first appeared on the scene back in 2016 with the release of their Keepsake EP, but for some reason this is being touted as a debut single, so make of that what you will.
Still, if it is a fresh start or new sound the Carolyn are searching for, then it’s a strong one. Bristling with driving guitars and machine gun snare buildups, “A.M.” doesn’t break any molds in terms of its aesthetics (the Menzingers and the Lawrence Arms are both good reference points), but it’s sharply written and confidently delivered. According to the Bandcamp description, the song was inspired by Diane Evans (Laura Dern) from Twin Peaks, which helps provide some context for the dark, existential lyrics that inform the track.
Directed by Josh Kirkland and Jon Milogrand, the video alternates between nostalgia-driven basement show footage and some sort of pseudo-surrealist mystery involving a cryptic, cigarette-smoking woman and a young man who follows her out of the show and winds up waking up in the woods. It’s all fairly inscrutable and open to interpretation, but the song’s fiery verve and shout-along refrain help hold it all together.
Watch/listen above.
The Carolyn will perform Thur., May 16 at Star Bar alongside Rough Dreams, Resident One, and Breaux. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $5. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: thecarolyn.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @thecarolynmusic
Twitter: @thecarolynmusic