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CAROUSEL
Jeweler’s Daughter

Tee Pee (2013)
Rating: 7.5/10

Carousel is a straight up rock ’n’ roll band straight outta Pittsburgh, but despite these guys having been around since 2010 this hearty rocker of a record is their first full-length outing.

The band was formed by vocalist / guitarist Dave Wheeler with the aid of drummer Jake Leger, and they are joined by second guitarist Chris Tritschler and bassist Jim Wilson. The sound Carousel create – although very much no frills – surprised me a great deal, because it soon became very moreish to the ears, a wholesome landscape of deep, burning grooves and retro rhythms that bring to mind some of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands, like Diamond Head, alongside a selection of other balls to the wall rock bands such as Thin Lizzy.

However, as a debut opus Jeweler’s Daughter is not restricted by those comparisons. In fact, it has a rather nice flow to it, especially the fluent guitar sound and rather smooth vocals of Wheeler and I could even see this type of record appealing to fans of Black Sabbath and some of the stoner rock fraternity as it has that type of oomph.

The opening title track is a catchy beast fuelled by a simple yet effective riff and Wheeler’s smoky vocal. The whole feel of this reminds me of a cool retro mix of Corrosion Of Conformity at their cleanest alongside the little known, albeit defunct US band Dirty Americans.

The quartet are clearly inspired by some of the biggest American bands too, those sort of arena acts such as Boston and the likes, such is the accessibility of this type of rock which could, if in the right hands, propel these guys to supporting stadium acts.

‘Long Time’ has a distinctive old school Kiss feel, and I could just imagine Paul Stanley barking out that opening line as the guitars strut behind. ‘Crippler’ is Thin Lizzy at their hookiest, and features an almost soulful groove and a bluesy heart. It’s the sort of jam that could easily fill a venue, because Carousel, in spite of their rather bland name, are ideal for those beer-congested parties with their upbeat brand of traditional rock ’n’ roll.

Of course, there are a number of bands trying out this revivalist rock, and it could be argued that instead of listening to such a band it’d be far better to slap on those original discs that were made back in the 70s and 80s, but Carousel are far less irritating, and certainly more punchy than the numerous derivative acts doing the rounds today.

Straight up rocker ‘On My Way’, with its pacey drum, and the struttin’ ‘Waste Of Time’ are evidence of the band’s psych-tinged swagger, while the album’s best track is the epic sounding tumble of ‘Nightfall’, with its smouldering intro and 70s vibe that brings to mind a West Coast rock feel.

Jeweler’s Daughter is a smooth, rockin’ debut from a band who exhibits a lot of maturity and confidence, and these qualities alone, alongside that rather massive sound, should enable them to hit the big time soon.

Neil Arnold

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