Cartman – Waves
One listen to the new album from Denver-based artist Cartman and you’ll wonder if he’s telling the truth about recording it in a walk-in closet in a guest bedroom. Residing at the vertex between hip hop, indie rock, and pop music, Waves is a collection of breezy, summer-sounding songs that rest heavily on excellent production, acoustic-guitar twinkles, squiggly synths, and Cartman’s past as a hip-hop artist. Expect plenty of earworms, perfect for putting on for your next poolside gathering.
The mysterious and nebulous “Gold” opens this fantastic album – at just about a minute in length, this one is fleeting, but hits hard. Cartman’s flow is smooth and unbothered, gliding over a 3:4 time signature like some sort of modern day waltz. Just when you think it’s about to explode into something beautiful, he launches into song two, “Tonight.” “Tonight” is an archetypal Cartman song – catchy hip-hop-inspired rhythms, twinkly acoustic guitars, and a driving drum beat. It’s subtle, but Cartman throws in a note that pulls in this catchy chord progression. It’s these little details in the atmosphere of Waves that make this collection feel special.
Our nod for album favorite is a tossup between the aforementioned “Tonight” and follow up track “Lucid.” If any of you readers have played the rogue-like video game Balatro – there’s a hint of the iconic theme that peeks through on the vibe of “Lucid” – between the warped synth flavors, stabs of piano, bongo rolls, and fuzzed-out guitar work, it feels (at least to a nerd like me) like a spiritual successor to that song that’s been beaten into my head. This is assuredly a compliment (and I don’t mean to go off on a tangent), but, like the Balatro theme, the lighthearted and fizzy emotion found here on “Lucid” is fantastic. In fact – if you want to start anywhere on this LP, listen from songs two through four – “From Me,” with it’s chiming chorus guitars, Tame Impala-esque bassline, and a fun feature from Cartman’s wife, is a close runner up.
There’s lots more to enjoy on Waves – “Cycles” is ultra-chill, but keeps a ruthless sense of melody. “Intertube” could be an emo song in a different life – built around a bedroom-pop acoustic guitar riff, it has an underlying sense of urgency that’s undeniable, reminiscent of Wicca Phase Springs Eternal stuff (without the trap beats, of course). “Outside” feels like the most overtly hip-hop flavored track on this LP, using the same watery synth tones that make Porches songs so palatable. Cartman smartly winds things down on “Waves” and “Surfin’,” bringing the nautical theme-full circle while letting you down from the pop onslaught he so wonderfully brought earlier on.
Check out the embed of “Lucid” below – you can find Waves on Spotify.
Categorised in: Album Reviews
This post was written by Nick Sessanna