EHP 0.30: Carrier heart and arms CD [ purchase cd ] Pressing Information: 500 CDs CARRIER's six song debut CD is awash with melody, urgency, and upbeat guitar lines not unlink MODEST MOUSE, BUILT TO SPILL, and others in that avenue. Featuring Hrishikesh Hirway of THE ONE AM RADIO on drums, CARRIER mingle artful indie rock and dub influences, with echoes of ANIMAL COLLECTIVE and THE TALKING HEADS floating somewhere in the background. All the things that take most bands of this genre three or four releases to acomplish are layed out in these six songs. TRACK LISTING: 1. Things Don't Fall Apart 2. Portrait Of The Pedophile As A Young Man 3. Sugarbear 4. You Think You're A Hypochondriac 5. Andre the Giant and Cool "Disco" Dan Take On The Slave Trade 6. On Fire REVIEWS: Centerfuse I really tried to find an image file of the cover of this record, but the only ones I found were tiny and would look ridiculous here. Sorry. Carrier is a new project featuring Hrishikesh Hirway of The One AM Radio. Don't listen expecting anything like that, though, or you might be very disappointed. Carrier plays a relatively quirky, very rhythmic sort of indie rock that isn't heard much on labels like EHP. The bass and drums lay a nice, strong foundation for each song, leaving room for the guitar and vocals to go a bit insane. The guitar playing is always clean and usually jangly, not unlike some Modest Mouse material. The vocals really carry the songs. I want to say they remind me of M. Doughty in Soul Coughing, but I'm not entirely sure if that's an accurate comparison yet. The vocals seem to be used as much for their sound they make as the lyrics, and it works very well with the music. Some of the lyrics are a bit corny, but I don't think the words are the main focus. This is definitely something new and interesting to check out. I have a feeling I'll find more things to like the more I listen. Mashnote (Jim Faes) Damn this is good. Carrier features mister Hirway from The One Am Radio, but sound nothing like that. This is fun, quirky indiepop. Not unlike the up-beat Modest Mouse mixed with a little bit of Built To Spill. That does sound good right? The vocals have this very distinct sound which i really really like a lot. They go well with the kinda dense but crispy sound (jeez...). "Things don't fall apart" is the first track and has a nice jangly riff, like most songs on this record do. But this stands out because it's so uplifting in my opinion. The lyrics are well written and remind me sometimes of the Cap'n Jazz lyrics because of the use of alliterations. Nice. Impact Press issue #54 (DP) This record goes down like smooth Iris Cream liquer. With challenging drums, a universal sound, and at once haunting and calming guitars, this delightful record rolls forward like a freight train. And its lyrics, sung with passion and life, hit you straight in the heart like just about any other similie you could think of. A very impressive record with fantastic production values for being recorded in teh homes of the band members. Delusions Of Adequacy (Jeff Marsh) Carrier is a strange band. Somehow, these folks mix dub and even bits of reggae influences into indie rock. It shouldn’t work, frankly. It should fail so absurdly that you will run screaming. But somehow, it works really quite well, and what you get are six catchy, up-tempo songs that make you want to dance, that would sound as comfortable opening for Built to Spill as Animal Collective as I Am the World Trade Center. I guess the dub influences come in the low-tuned guitar lines. The pace is a bit ska-like (which itself takes from dub and reggae), and the vocals of Karl Tupper (I believe) are so slick that it wouldn’t surprise me to hear him singing for a Phish-like band. In fact, Carrier jams a bit here and there, so there are some other unusual influences. But with drummer Hrishikesh Hirway (from the One AM Radio) keeping things up-tempo and catchy, and with strong songwriting, these three guys keep things in check and create some catchy if low-key songs. The vocals start immediately as the song begins, and "Things Don’t Fall Apart" instantly shows off the band’s unique, danceable rock style. "Portrait of the Pedophile as a Young Man" relies more intrinsically on Hirway’s incredible percussive abilities as well as some slick low-end bass. The vocals are mixed interestingly, into the mix so that they’re a bit hard to pick out. My favorite song, "Sugarbear" sounds more akin to Modest Mouse, and it is perhaps the most indie-rock track here. Then again, it’s also something of a sing-along, so maybe it’s not so traditional indie rock. The low-end bass of "You Think You’re a Hypochondriac" is especially nice, and there’s some nice melody to the extremely catchy and lengthily titled "Andre the Giant and Cool ‘Disco’ Dan Take on the Slave Trade." The closing "On Fire" is more rocking, more emphatic, and I’d definitely like to hear more like this from the band in the future. So yes, Carrier is a different entity, not really fitting into any suitable genre. But that shouldn’t be seen as a negative. Although not the biggest fan of the dub-style influences or the jams, I can’t help but enjoy this EP. I think more excellent things should be expected from this California band. Smother dot net (J-Sin) Carrier has that kind of vocal harmonizing that everyone enjoys. Lyrically this Berkeley California band tells stories that while intensely focused are laudable and approachable. Following up on their "Demo", which I found superb yet missing a few key ingredients, Carrier pushed forth the boundaries of post-rock. As interest in bands like Modest Mouse has increased focus on the type of angular rock that Carrier plays, there will be more people flocking to their side. And boy do they deserve it with their usage of dynamic songwriting and ability to shove to the side any and all stereotypes for a sound so unique it hurts. I’m impressed big time. Indiana Journal Review (Wade Coggeshall) For three conspirators, Berkeley, Calif.'s Carrier sure drums up a frenetic, funky fracas. "Heart & Arms" is five songs long - not nearly enough to purge all yer ya-yas out in one sitting. It might merely be mistaken for mindless fun if not for Webster McBride's splintered and startlingly humorous narratives, which are reflected in the song titles. The guitar licks are undeniably insatiable. Picture the rhythm mechanic here footloosing his feet while his strumming hand flicks effortlessly in a blur over the strings. The somewhat mumbled singing that opens "Things Don't Fall Apart" can be construed as casual or nervous, while the spacious, jangling guitar bounce erupts over hip-swiveling bass and sweaty beats. The jumpy cadence of "Portrait of the Pedophile as a Young Man" anchors majestically-chambered strums. The rhythms are in top form on "Sugarbear," where its sunny, boundless riffs are impossible not to smile at. "You Think You're a Hypochondriac" comes awfully close to the former, though, an excuse to hit the dancefloor, complete with a little "sine" language. The funk-punk mooring on "Andre the Giant and Cool 'Disco' Dan Take on the Slave Trade" flaunts a shuffling strut and fidgety fingering. With all the cardboard cutouts in rock music, a band like Carrier is a welcome respite and needed innovator to keep independent music on the cutting edge.