On the heels of their full-length release High Beams last year, Denver indie-rock band Carbon Choir is set to release a fresh EP with a special show Friday night at Boulder's Fox Theatre.
The EP, entitled Cut from the Cloth, contains four cuts that the band decided not to use on High Beams--but it wouldn't do justice to think of it as a B-side record. Rather, the bandmates decided to hold these songs because they felt they belonged in a separate project. "These are songs we wanted to put out later, because we thought they were strong, and we wanted the [next] EP to be strong," says lead vocalist/guitarist Joel Van Horne. "We were actually a lot more creative and a lot more open to a lot of things with these."
Frequently compared to bands like Coldplay and Radiohead, the sound of Carbon Choir is reflective, atmospheric, and highly creative. Van Horne and keyboardist Chris Hatton handle most of the band's songwriting, although the final arrangements are definitely a collaborative effort. "What's interesting about our band is that we'll come up with each other's parts, because we all play different instruments," says Van Horne. "Often what ends up being my part or Chris's part, someone else came up with, because we have that advantage of third-person perspective...I think it's cool that these four guys have kind of a selfless devotion to the song, and a lot of times we'll be open to other suggestions, because there might be a better idea." The collaboration pays off with these four tunes, which have CC's signature combination of jazz-infused rhythms and airy effects, overlaid with Van Horne's melancholy vocals.
While some experimental rock bands focus more on the cerebral side of music, Carbon Choir has the ability to create complex, intelligent music that evokes a more emotional response--and that's how Van Horne thinks it should be. "I think that music that is purely cerebral has lost its way," he says. "I think music at its simplest form, the whole point of it, is all about emotion."
Carbon Choir's EP release show, which Van Horne says is CC's biggest show to date, is this Friday, August 20, at Fox Theatre in Boulder, with Achille Lauro and Science Partner opening. The first 100 people in the door will receive a free copy of the new EP, Cut from the Cloth. This is an all ages show, with doors opening at 8:30 PM; you can get your tickets at Fox Theatre's website.
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