Review Summary: "I'll scratch her fucking eyes out."
From an edgy, visceral incarnation of acoustic and indie rock, gentle vocals that delivers lyrical material both soothing and sinister, and past album artwork that looks like a disturbing snapshot of someone's worst nightmare, it can be said that British singer/songwriter, Carina Round, is not afraid to be brutally honest in her musical efforts. Often constructing intricate metaphors to describe her thoughts and feelings, just simply outright damning or affectionately demonstrating her devotion to an unknown third party, Round's lyrics tend to focus on the introspective side of things, and often without any hesitation at all. In
Things You Should Know, Round's 2009 five track EP, this unflinching honesty is in abundance. And yet, strangely, the very first track of the EP, 'Backseat', is an outright lie.
Musically, 'Backseat' is by all regards a 'happy song'. Featuring mellow, twinkling instrumentals and slowly building into a gospel-esque climax, the track is beautiful, but something feels amiss here. Round's vocals are light, yet saddened. The faint piano backing is slow and sombre, as opposed to the uplifting farce the track makes itself out to be. It all just feels
wrong, and by the time 'Backseat' has finished and 'Please Don't Stop' begins, any illusion of this being a joyous, elevated endeavour of an EP is quickly washed away, revealing a short, harrowing glimpse into Round's psyche. Gently easing into things, 'Please Don't Stop' immediately establishes a mood of unease, and paranoia; "It's not safe to talk here; the walls are listening." It is in complete contrast with the previous track, and as Round softly
begs with the listener, the track drifts by until the echoing percussion and distorted lead guitar comes into focus, in a gorgeous explosion of raw desperation. Lifting the mood a little, next comes the alternative country influenced track, 'Thief In The Sky', and it is nothing short of fantastic. As the slightly overdriven guitar gorgeously carries the track, Round takes a moment to show off a stronger, more energised vocal performance, delivering weird, yet wonderful lyrics that suit the track perfectly;
"Spanish bar on American street, you're the one I like the mostest."
It's here that Round brings things closer to her chest, in next track 'Do You'. Far more intimate in nature, 'Do You' sees Round at her most vulnerable, lyrically reflecting on a past relationship's highs, and crushing lows. Considering the overall nature of the lyrics, surprisingly, Round delivers her vocals with barely a trace of aggression. Instead, she is simply being
honest, making the sweet impact of her words all the more potent, less like a punch to the face, and more akin to a slow acting poison. Her voice croaks by while acoustic guitar and soft electric guitar licks carry the track forward, until in its final moments a short, raw burst of anger finally breaks through, the acoustic guitar slammed in brief, aggressive strums, and Round tenderly delivers a piercing ultimatum;
"Scratch my memory from your brain, I'll scratch her ***ing eyes out."
Finally finishing
Things You Should Know, comes 'For Everything A Reason'. The track deals with the acceptance of bitter circumstances lyrically, with Round delivering a heart achingly sombre performance. As opposed to previous track 'Do You', there is no resistance anymore; just an empty space where somebody used to be, and an attempt to deal with it. It is a beautiful, haunting end to the EP, building from Round's soothing vocals into a final burst of guitar distortion.
Although short and sweet,
Things You Should Know carries a lot of weight, and has a lot of staying power. With incredibly intimate and introspective themes and lyrics, Carina Round has intricately constructed a brief insight into what makes her who she is, using the driving force of her own inner demons to further strengthen
Things You Should Knows impact. It's fascinating to experience, and uncommonly human, simply coming down to one of the very few things that makes us all unique, and yet all the same. We all strive and fight for that connection, to
feel something. And if it all goes to hell, for everything, there's a reason.
Right?
