Austin Carr – Imaginary Boy (2020)
Austin Carr is a singer-songwriter who has been creating his own music since the age of 13. In the last few years, he built a career in modelling and acting, but this changed in 2019. He started developing bald spots around his head and was diagnosed with alopecia areata. Unable to continue working in front of the camera, he turned to his passion for music.
He has now released his debut EP Imaginary Boy. The EP includes three original songs and a live acoustic cover. All the tracks are intimate and explore a range of sounds from electronic dance to vintage pop and soul.
‘For Once and for Her’ opens the album in a gentle manner with Carr’s smooth vocals laying the groundwork. There is a bit of influence from electronic dance music in this track, but it is very subtle. It also does not distract from the vocal performance that showcases Carr’s control and falsetto.
‘I’ll Forget U, I Won’t Forget This’ has a more vintage pop sound to it. The melody swings between gentle with some echoes to faster in the chorus. This is a very catchy track that will stick in your head for long after it has ended. While the melody catches you, the lyrics are worth listening to.
‘Bruise’ is the ballad of the EP and has a very soulful vibe to it. This track has minimal production, but that enhances Carr’s vocals. While simple, the melody gets you moving to the guitar tones. This song has more vulnerability in it than the others.
The last track is a live acoustic version of ‘I’ll Forget U, I Won’t Forget This’. This is the longest track on the EP and gives the song a completely different vibe. While the studio version is all vintage pop, this version has a rawness to it. You can also hear the emotions in Carr’s vocals clearly in this track.
Austin Carr uses a range of sounds to channel his pain and frustration in the intimate Imaginary Boy. The EP only has three tracks, but they are each beautiful and gripping in their own way. Each song showcases Carr’s abilities and leaves you wanting more.
Find out more about Austin Carr on his Instagram, YouTube and Spotify.
