The Carvels NYC still exist! And from what I heard it is only thanks to perseverance from their side. Like so many others the band saw plans fall apart due to Covid. They gave that a positive twist with Live At The Cutting Room. Unfortunately more disappointments followed. I can only admire a band that isn’t willing to throw in the towel after all that.
This single is the first sign of their strong willed attempt to make the best of the cards that are dealt to you. On the A-side we find the song “In Real Life”. This song sounds a bit more light than what I expected. More The Clash, less Ramones and Misfits. It is a small change of sound that the band pulls really good.
On the B-side we find “Feelin’ Stabby”. This is more in line with the previous outing of The Carvels NYC. Production wise it feels a bit more old-school than it did in the past. It fits this song very well. It has that warm and fuzzy sound I associate with early eighties punk records, but packing the power of a modern production. There is this very thin line where these two worlds meet and the production of this single is right on that line.
After spinning these two songs a couple of times I did have the feeling I was missing something. And then it dawned on me that I was missing the saxophone. As it took me a while to figure out there was no sax on the single I could conclude that the band can do without it. However, after spinning a couple of old songs again I have to say I do enjoy the addition of the sax on those songs. It just adds that little extra.
