EP: Charlotte Carpenter ‘The Fault Line’

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If you’re looking for a sound which encompasses self-awareness and resilience, look no further than Charlotte Carpenter. Carpenter is a new, yet experienced, writer of the blues, and has toured alongside Marika Hackman, George Ezra, and Ethan Johns. Her latest EP The Fault Line chronicles her emergence from romantic darkness in to autonomous new light.

Opening track ‘Break’ is a husky lament to the placement of blame, post-relationship. Carpenter’s vocals are the calm before the guitar reverb storm: “Do you know your faults? ‘Cos boy do I know mine” she sings – her smooth delivery belying the sadness which provoked her to write. On ‘Mean Time’ she admits that despite appearing “quite steady” and “quite strong”, she too is vulnerable and easily “stained” by tears. Carpenter is able to take these tempestuous moments of emotion and turn them in to bluesy rolling riffs, and ‘Wasted’ is a perfect example of this. She vents her frustration through heavy guitar, and drums that thump like aggravated heartbeats. “I wasted time on trying to believe you” she sings, as listeners brace themselves for a final catharsis of loud, clear, bluesy guitar.

Closing track ‘Sometimes The Blues’ is as moody as it sounds. “Do you wonder too? What goes on inside my mind when I’m singing songs to you?” asks Carpenter, before tambourines and the bass drum help close the track in heavy blues-rock style. “Sometimes the blues can choose you, sometimes you choose them too” – but if you do decide to immerse yourself in murky emotional waters, make sure you invest in Charlotte Carpenter’s new record. You won’t regret it.

The Fault Line EP is available to download now, and was released on Charlotte’s own label Let It Go.

Catch Charlotte live this month:

20 November – The Owl Sanctuary, Norwich
22 November – The Hope, Brighton
23 November – Servant Jazz Quarters, London
24 November – Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham
27 November – The Cookie, Leicester

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut