Erland & The Carnival, Trouble In Mind EP

By Less Lee Moore

If you didn’t know better, you might think that Trouble In Mind, the new EP from British folk band Erland & The Carnival, was recorded sometime in the mid-to-late-sixties and just unearthed last week.

Interestingly, the title track is the most modern-sounding song on the EP, with its gentle, yet catchy, vocals and harpsichord.

After the opening of “My Name Is Carnival,” which recalls the intro to Cream’s “White Room,” the rolling drumbeat, tremolo guitars, spacey keyboards, and striking harmonies conspire to transport the listener into the past, perhaps a concert scene from a documentary about British folk rock or Haight-Ashbury.

“You Don’t Have To Be Lonely” could be the second performance of this fictional, cinematic band. It has a rollicking Hammond organ sound, which is somewhat reminiscent of The Doors, but far more melodic.

The standout on the EP, however, is the sublime, “Love is a Killing Thing,” a reworking of a traditional folk song as collected by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams which includes a chorus from a Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl song.

The song begins with chanting and clanging, as if a ritual is taking place. Its gorgeous, echoing vocals and mystical lyrics are reminiscent of such traditional medieval music as “Scarborough Fair,” but much heavier. Slowly, the rhythm section builds up to a pulsing beat and then dissipates, only to return stronger and richer with different, added textures.

It then bursts into a cacophonous and psychedelic instrumental middle section that is absolutely and intensely amazing, recalling “No More White Horses” by T2.

Yes, there are flashes of influence throughout Trouble In Mind, but Erland & The Carnival are not derivative or sycophantic; they have managed to create a captivating sound all their own.

The Trouble In Mind EP was released on October 19 via Full Time Hobby/Yep Roc Records. For more on Erland & the Carnvial, please visit their website.