17 Nov 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Aaron Carpenter and The Revelators - Album Review: Pretty Lies

13 Aug 2017 // A review by Kerry MB

Bluesy, gritty and honest with plenty of swag best describes Aaron Carpenter and The Revelators’ debut album, Pretty Lies.

The quintet hail from Waiheke Island, also known as "wine island", only a ferry ride away from the bright lights of Auckland.

Recorded in a barn with one of NZ’s pioneer producers, Nick Abbott, the nine -track debut is brimming with soul and is the kind of music that captures your attention within those opening chords.

The first thing I noticed was the superb sound and clarity. Vocalist, Aaron Carpenter has a real depth and soul to his voice and it emanates loud and clear on every track. Straight off the bat, opening track, Pretty Lies is a straightforward crunchy, riff driven number, it has that kind of one-drink-in-your-hand live onstage, kind of swag and it’s perfect.

There is an attractive gritty rawness to the vibe of this album, with soft harmony and melody ever present, you can feel the connection, its emotions. With a sound that is uniquely theirs, at times I am reminded of American Rock and Blues Jam band, JJ Grey and Mofro, another band I hold in high regard in the Rock and Blues genre.

A breath of fresh air in a genre that is forever timeless, Pretty Lies is an album you must hear, and if you’re completely new to the genre, let this be your first discovery.

 

About Aaron Carpenter and The Revelators

Aaron Carpenter has a gift for articulating the plight of the downtrodden and misunderstood. A knack for stepping inside his fellow man’s boots and feeling the wear on the sole, the caked dirt between the treads, and the permanent awkwardness of the fit. This insight keeps listeners riveted throughout as The Revelators report back on the lot of small-town lifers, neglected love veterans, and the invisible homeless with both sympathy and a burning curiosity. By his own admission, the songwriter turns more inward and that means the blues, music he credits as “the commonest of human experience, perhaps the only thing that we all truly share.” If Carpernter is correct, the blues aren’t merely a condition but rather the human condition.




Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Aaron Carpenter and The Revelators

Releases

Pretty Lies
Year: 2017
Type: Album

Other Reviews By Kerry MB

Kerretta - Album Review: Angelm
24 Oct 2024 // by Kerry MB
Auckland's instrumental rock trio, Kerretta, is back, and let me tell you, it couldn’t come at a better time. Angelm, their first album since 2018's Exiscens, which was a collection of outtakes and unreleased tracks.
Read More...
Shady Brain Farm - Album Review: ..Another Set Of Circumstances
26 Sep 2024 // by Kerry MB
Shady Brain Farm hail from North-West Auckland — specifically Kumeu, Waimauku, and Muriwai Beach — and has been making music together since 1997. The band, Ben Furniss lead vocals, guitar, and keyboards, Paul Taylor drums and backing vocals, and Chris Vaughan on bass and backing vocals are certainly no strangers to musical diversity and are back with a new album, ...
Read More...
Zed - Album Review: Future Memory
04 Sep 2024 // by Kerry MB
You know the name, and you know the sound of Zed, but did you know that here in 2024, the Christchurch icons are back with a new album? Because even though it has been 21 years, they never really stopped making music.
Read More...
Hadees Drudge - Album Review: The Mind Lies When The Soul Dies
01 Aug 2024 // by Kerry MB
Hadees Drudge is quite an anomaly in Wellington’s metal scene. Forgoing a second guitarist, they proudly rock one guitar in a genre where that’s almost unheard of.
Read More...
Thousand Limbs - Album Review: The Aurochs
16 Jul 2024 // by Kerry MB
Thousand Limbs has been on the scene now for a few years (since 2016) and have gained quite the following since, for their powerhouse of instrumental metal. Now, if you are also a fan of Kerretta and Nine Inch Nails then Thousand Limbs will be right up your alley.
Read More...
Crowded House - Album Review: Gravity Stairs
10 Jun 2024 // by Kerry MB
In a moment we’ve all been waiting for, Crowded House, who need no introduction have released their new album, Gravity Stairs. It’s only been a little over two years since their last offering, Dreamers Are Waiting (2021) and it seems fans just can’t get enough.
Read More...
Government Pest - EP Review: Vol. 3
05 Jun 2024 // by Kerry MB
Formed from the ashes of local bands, Hellborne and Wall of Silents to name a few, Government Pest have been on the scene since 2014 and have never failed to amaze fans with their solid metal offerings and swag of albums over the years. 2024 is no different and they’re back again with a new EP, Vol.
Read More...
PARK RD - Album Review The Novel
23 May 2024 // by Kerry MB
It’s easy to see why Auckland five-piece, PARK RD is making some noise, figuratively and literally with their debut album, The Novel. Heavy on the indie, but far from light with solid guitar riffs and pop and funk sensibilities, PARK RD are a great example of solid musicianship.
Read More...
View All Articles By Kerry MB

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • APT.
    ROSÉ And Bruno Mars
  • DIE WITH A SMILE
    Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
  • BIRDS OF A FEATHER
    Billie Eilish
  • TASTE
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
    Gracie Abrams
  • ESPRESSO
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • SAILOR SONG
    Gigi Perez
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
    Shaboozey
  • GOOD LUCK, BABE!
    Chappell Roan
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem