Trivial Shields, Levity EP (out May 8, 2020) – ALBUM REVIEW #19
With Levity EP, multi-instrumentalist Christian Carpenter aka Trivial Shields invites you to a world full of energy, contemplation, and fun. All this in three tracks only.
Christian Carpenter’s CV? Judge by yourself: among other experiences, his previous band, My Dear Disco (with Theo Katzmann and Joey Dosik) preceded the creation of Vulfpeck. It’s no surprise Levity EP is so colorful and emotionally intense, considering the quality of the guests invited aboard this voyage of the senses.
Trivial Shields is also set to release his debut LP First Edition Paperbacks this fall.
EDIT: due to the current situation, the release of the EP has been postponed to May 8.
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Send to KindleTrivial Shields, Levity EP : our track-per-track review:
Levity ft. LIP TALK
The hatching: Levity is not here to rush anyone. A soft and catchy introduction, where the vocals predominate but don’t flood the general mood or steal the show.
Instrumentally speaking, the discreet bass guitar part is what really drives the music. A distinguishable and distinguished sound at the service of the song.
For The Best ft. Angelica Bess
The affirmation: a bright, elusive, reverbed but not cliché synth part, conjugated with a sophisticated and steady drum pattern.
Vaporwave vibes? Nah. Way better and truly original. For The Best is mastered energy and expression. If For The Best was to be located on a musical map, it would be between Duncan Faure’s 24 Hours and Daft Punk’s Get Lucky.
For The Best is by far our favorite, even if of course the two other tracks are everything but fillers.
Rejection Therapy ft. Sandu Ndu
The sun: Rejection Therapy is the fruit of the most well-researched work on the vocals we’ve heard in a while. The song could have been accused of overusing the stereo possibilities a studio can offer, but once again, it’s all at the service of the song.
Rejection Therapy is also the most visual song Levity EP has to offer. Let your imagination visualize and explore.
Instrumentals
The three aforementioned tracks have their instrumentals, which is something becoming quite rare, sadly.
The most striking fact? These instrumentals seem to be songs that have not been previously heard, but are just as agreeable as the previous tracks.
Strange, you might think, but above all, with a meaning:
- These instrumentals seem to demonstrate that the vocals are in fact the ultimate instrument on Levity EP.
- These instrumentals seem to show that the vocals, as strong as they are, did not hide possible studio mishaps or instrumental weaknesses. In conclusion, two versions, two valuable experiences.
Written by Marc Louis-Boyard for Slow Culture.
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