Ezio / Cardboard Carousel [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 11/10/14]
Although I was gutted at missing most of Cardboard Carousel‘s earlier-than-planned set, what I did catch was as wonderful as I’d anticipated. Cardboard Carousel are an incredibly talented husband-and-wife team whose precisely attuned vocals give their carefully-worded tunes the depth they deserve.
I was probably the only audience member who was completely new to Ezio (whose name my spellchecker wants to change to ‘Wazoo’), and it was cool to see a pair of artists receive so much enthusiastic appreciation. Whether bouncing between acoustic-based genres – taking in rock, folk, blues, country, flamenco, and gypsy jazz – or prefacing an encore with an in-depth discussion of the walk of shame, Ezio were consummate showmen and instrumentalists. Along the way were laughs, melancholic moments, and more than enough lilting serenity to ease my post-Marmozets bangover.
Above all else, Ezio possess one key trait: The ability to tell a story at all times, whether it be with lyrics, the sparsest of note choices, or the most in-your-face rhythmic onslaught. A common criticism of acoustic music is that it’s weedy and boring – but acts like Ezio serve as proof that that assumption is utter nonsense.
Links
Cardboard Carousel official website.
The Boileroom official website.
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