CARBS – YouTubular Bells EP

YouTubular Bells is yet another excellent slice of the witty lyricism and inventiveness we've come to expect from CARBS

Album Review by Adam Turner-Heffer | 29 May 2018
Album title: YouTubular Bells EP
Artist: CARBS
Label: Save As Collective
Release date: 1 Jun

Given the consistently excellent output of Jonnie Common and Jamie Scott (aka MC Almond Milk) over the past few years, both in their own right and collectively as their musical project CARBS, it actually seems a little odd that YouTubular Bells is only their second official release together. Since 2015's excellent Joyous Material Failure the duo have been no less productive, both releasing solo albums and a handful of singles and collaborations with their Save As Collective labelmates, but it's been a surprisingly long wait for the follow-up CARBS release.

Their latest five-track EP is, allegedly at least, completely comprised of samples found on YouTube and "is a far superior recording in every conceivable way" to the title's predecessor Tubular Bells, so they claim. Whether that's true remains to be seen, but regardless YouTubular Bells is yet another excellent slice of the witty lyricism and inventiveness we've come to expect from the duo.

Opener, Slept On quite explicitly spells out the concept of 'feeling weird' in all its various manifestations, while Live Fast Get Coin explores the duo's brotherly (from other motherly) relationship. Featured single Surf's Out is a glorious bit of summery hip-hop, while the excellently titled Skateboards of Canada isn't too far off the well-loved band they reference in the title. Though brief, YouTubular Bells is yet another example of the consistently impressive output of Common and Scott (and Save As in general), which is neatly packaged by closer Run Fast Get Rings.

Listen to: Slept On, Surf's Out, Skateboards of Canada

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