Carrousel - 27 rue de mi'chelle

"Perfect imperfection" is how frontman and founder Joel Piedt describes the music of his Carrousel, a rather intriguing new dream/pop band from Tallahassee, Florida. Inspired by Brian Wilson and "Good Vibrations" and holed up for two and a half years in their makeshift home studio, Piedt and his various conspirators meticulously crafted each track of their May 15 debut album, layering dense vocal harmonies, tambourines, 60-ish guitar lines and dramatic piano fills into a dazzling melange of smart, sophisticated art/pop. Named in part for an ex-girlfriend, 27 rue de mi'chelle is an overtly thematic album of big ideas and the emotion of a love spurned, of heartbreak and, as the lead track "Idee Fixe" would note, the concept of obsession. But despite it's symphonic scope, the production feels lean and spacious, folk/pop songs transformed into a grand gestures for the intimate stage. The stunning six-minute "Where Do We Go From Here" encapsulates the Carrousel vision as the song moves in theatrical ebb and flow, intricate melodies moving and shifting atop an ever-evolving, "kitchen-sink" instrumental foundation. Watch the charming chaos unfold in the video for "14" below...

Carrousel - "Where Do We Go From Here" (from 27 rue de mi'chelle)

Carrousel - "14" (from 27 rue de mi'chelle)