Michael Carpenter - Baby

  by Geraint Jones

published: 17 / 12 / 2001

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Michael Carpenter's debut album ‘Baby’ is another beneficiary of the recent licensing agreement between new label When! Recordings, a subsidiary of long-standing reissue specialists Castle Music, and the most prolific and respected purveyor of power pop in the States, Not Lame. With the formation of When! and other recent releases on Rainbow Quartz, UK power pop fans can now get albums by some of the genre's best bands to have emerged in recent years. Cotton Mather, The Shazam and Myracle Brah, who’ve all had their recent albums released by Rainbow Quartz are reaping the benefits from having played dates here. Having subsequently received some very positive press further visits are envisaged in the near future. Let’s hope that the bands on When! can benefit to the same degree.The label have also recently released albums by the Rooks, covered elsewhere in this issue, the Idle Jets, Darin and Dwight Twilley, a long time exponent and influential figure in the power pop scene since the mid 70s. Among the labels most recent releases is Michael Carpenter’s debut, ‘Baby’ which is a sparkling gem, full of powerful harmony driven pop rock songs. Michael Carpenter is from Perth, Western Australia, also home to DM3, one of Australia’s best-known independent bands, who sadly recently split up after several excellent albums. In fact, there has been a healthy power pop scene in Australia since the mid eighties. Michael Carpenter’s introduction to power pop happened just a few years ago although he had been in bands previously and had built up a reputation as an excellent engineer and producer at his self-built recording studio, Stagefright. Having been recording a session by local band, the Pyramidiacs, he was impressed by their crunching guitars and wonderful harmonies and via the band was introduced to artists like Teenage Fanclub, Matthew Sweet, Badfinger and the Raspberries. It was to be several more years until he had the confidence to begin recording again, having virtually given up the idea of being an artist himself following the demise of his previous band, Eleven Eleven. Encouraged by friends he began writing songs again and following a well received performance at the International Pop Overthrow Festival in Los Angeles in 1998 under the name of Stagefright, his studios name in Perth, and the appearance of two tracks on a tie-in sampler CD he decided to forge ahead with the recording of his first solo album with renewed confidence. With just a few minor exceptions, ‘Baby’ is genuinely the work of one artist. Michael Carpenter handles lead vocals, guitar, bass, drums and many other instruments. Occasionally guest musicians are employed but this is clearly the work of an extremely talented musician and composer. Clearly influenced by the Beatles, the Byrds and in particular the vocal harmonies of the Beach Boys, Carpenter has added his own drive, energy and obvious technical wizardry to perhaps his most important asset, the ability to write a good tune (something a large number of bands don’t appear to think is that important these days!). ‘Baby’ is another pop nugget and is ample proof that there’s great riches to be found for those prepared to dig for them.

Track Listing:-

1 Thinking About You
2 She Dreams
3 Tonight
4 Love Is Like
5 Changes
6 You're The One
7 Beautiful Woman
8 Mystic People
9 All I Want
10 The Real Thing
11 Just Like You
12 Missing You Now

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