Chillwave is rapidly becoming a genre so vast in sound that it is making the name tag almost obsolete; and few people are happier for that than me. Save The Clocktower are a trio hailing from Chicago, who encompass traits of numerous genres that it’s insurmountable to limit them to any one field. Their sophomore album Carousel summaries all that is brilliant about having such a broad and expansive range of influences.
Opener Drip is a classic dream pop number; hazy, thoughtful and wonderfully eloquent. The occasional heavier breakdown, along with sampled, reverbed vocals, make the track colorfully danceable. It’s a strong album that seeps into the consciousness of the listener, and you may find yourself swaying whether you’re focusing on the tunes they’ve produced, or sat on Pokerblog.com with their work spilling out of your speakers- The first few seconds of You Got Me is a fine example of inspirations conglomerating and working in unison, bolder yet still maintaining their refined pop sound.
Indeed, throughout the record that is the one influence powering Save The Clocktower that remains true; even the folk-esque They is deliriously upbeat and desirably honest. “They got me thinking I’m useless/They got me thinking I’m ruthless” bemoans lead singer Sean Paras, in a manner so open it’s clear there’s heartfelt meaning behind it. Occasionally the tracks intended to come across as heavier could perhaps be softened in tone slightly, the jagged Taped Noise and the wolfish Your Pain, which would still work without parts of the backing instrumentation. All that said, Paras’s vocals are a snug fit for dream pop tunes, and are undoubtedly a highlight of Carousel.
There’s touches of Twin Shadow, Panda Bear and even The National, however injected with Save The Clocktower’s brighter inspirations. The aforementioned Taped Noise harks back to The Beatles at times, with it’s catchy melody. Carousel is an accomplished debut record, with it’s influences stamped unashamedly on it’s sleeves, now it’s up to Save The Clocktower to prove that from their jumble of highly admired musical interests, they can shape their own unique and vibrant sound.
Carousel is available from here.
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