Carol - “Castle”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 2

Pairs Well With…Julien Baker, Margaret Glaspy, Julie Byrne

Warm and mysterious, Carol’s debut EP Softest Destroyer whispers both musically and vocally, but there’s soft drama in the Boston-based indie folk artist’s sound. Dreamy and spacious, Softest Destroyer is mostly just Carol’s voice and patient electric guitar melodies with some slight atmospherics on a couple tracks, a lonely sound within a beautiful core space. While mostly understated, there are some pained vocal moments where Carol lets vulnerable take herself in, moments that produce little peaks within her overtly subtle sound. Don’t be surprised to hear Carol broaden her sound while showcasing at SXSW - she recently performed her first full-band gigs and it’d be interesting to hear what such minimal music sounds with more. (Kevin McStravick)