Photo by: wearsthetrousers.com
While the music industry is currently inundated with one-hit wonders of auto-tuned pop and manufactured superstars, Carina Round and her new album Tigermending are a welcome breath of fresh air and honesty. Raw, real and relatable, Round creates a masterpiece of alternative rock sound that nurtures greater appreciation for the lost talent of songwriting.
From a whisper to a scream, Round bares her soul without abandon on her latest effort. A talented storyteller, Round plucks at heartstrings and croons her dark lullabies with a deep passion and emotion audible in every beat.
Tigermending showcases a shift in style for Round, peeling away a different layer and opening up a new set of rich feelings in each song. More raw and real than ever, Round adds scratches of guitar, horns and piano that showcase her knack for experimentation and collaboration.
Round’s avant-garde video for single “The Last Time” is a complex and lush masterpiece that takes you deep into the songwriter’s wild imagination and complements the album brilliantly. A true preview of themes to come, specifically the manifestation of dreams and nightmares, this video is as eclectic and inventive as the album itself.
The uneasy, turbulent atmosphere created on Tigermending is as effective as it is diverse. The shifty stories and hard truths put forth may make some listeners uneasy, but they will always be comforted by Round’s soothing voice.
Opening without reservations on “Pick Up The Phone,” Round softly sings: “Pick up the phone/I’m pregnant with your baby/I want you to know/The dreams I’m having lately.” Not for the faint of heart, this harsh line sets the tone for the drama, confusion and somewhat disturbing subject matter the singer tackles with her latest effort.
Showing a great deal of artistic growth from earlier albums like Things You Should Know, Round haunts the listener with the creepy disquiet of “This Is The Last Time” as it erupts with evocative harmonies and hints of violin. This eerie ambiance is further supplemented with tracks like “Weird Dream” and “The Secret of Drowning.”
Not one to forget her past influences, Round still has throwbacks to prior efforts – the more serene, romantic love songs matched by rich rock rhythms. Often compared to fellow English singer PJ Harvey, Round showcases her rock roots in Tigermending with “Set Fire” and “Girl and the Ghost,” which are both supplemented and contrasted by the sweet ballad “You and Me.”
Round laments in “Set Fire”: “Your words came down/In tatters and flames/And it’s the closest I’ve felt/To a song destroying me,” as if she can predict the effect the album will have on listeners. This mix of delicacy and ferocity is unmatched and Tigermending proves itself to be an album to be enjoyed without limits, with something new uncovered in each listen.
