Petter Carlsen – Good News (2020)
Located almost 400 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle is the Norwegian town Atlas. Hailing from the land of the Northern Lights, Petter Carlsen creates a unique brand of indie-pop and alternative rock with strong progressive vibes.
In his early years, Carlsen became fascinated with the heavy metal band Metallica and their engaging music. In 2006, he released his first EP A Taste of What’s To Come, which was followed by the well-received debut album You Go Bird in 2009. Since then, he has released several albums, performed with acts like British prog-rockers Anathema, and gained coverage on an international level.
One of the intriguing features of Petter Carlsen is his eclectic and innovative approach to music. Moving away from the stereotypical singer-songwriter path, Carlsen fuses electronic elements with classical instrumentation and progressive-rock undertones. The 2014 album Sirens gained him praise from German Rolling Stone where his music was described as “Radiohead, Sigur Ros and Neil Finn writing a song.”
As a follow-up to his last single ‘Contradictions’, ‘Good News’ is Carlsen’s fourth release in 2020. Moving from a steadier rock sound in ‘Contradictions’ and ‘Dogs’. ‘Good News’ is evidence of his experimental and constantly evolving sound. The complex layering of drum machines and synths with progressive-rock instrumentation shows Carlsen’s ability to fuse different styles while maintaining a distinctive sound.
Inspired by recent sociopolitical events ranging from environmental disasters, Black Lives Matter and the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘Good News’ is a protest song…but from the other side of the coin. Instead of doing a Sex Pistols ‘Anarchy In The UK’ rage, Carlsen calls out the world on repeating the same mistakes and asking for an optimistic solution.
Heavy driving guitars with a strong drumbeat and atmospheric vocals enhance the melancholic ambience of the track with a prog-rock feeling. Majestic, hypnotic and enchanting, ‘Good News’ can easily fall alongside the heavy metal sounds of Metallica.
For more from Petter Carlsen, check out his official website, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Spotify.
