by Dash Lewis (@gardenerjams)
Joshua Carpenter is a lifer. If you’ve caught a gig in any North Carolina rock club in the past couple decades, there’s a strong chance you’ve seen one of the Asheville polymath’s many bands. He’s been a member of Floating Action, the Nein, Schooner, The Hellsayers, Piedmont Charisma, Cobra Horse—the list goes on—and even spent a while playing guitar for the late Sixto Rodriguez. Carpenter’s one of those rare, enviable musicians that can switch instruments without breaking a sweat, a paragon of preternatural talent. Since 2011, he’s been quietly issuing majestic homespun records, playing, recording, and mixing everything himself. Carpenter’s songs feel like they’ve existed forever, swirling loosely in the ether until called forth the moment he picks up a guitar. End of the Kicks, his newest collection, is due out September 29 via Durham, NC label/collective PotLuck Foundation. It’s his best work yet, adding a gentle psychedelic shimmer to his classic songwriting.
“Tony Help Me Get A Handle,” Kicks’ first single, begins charmingly lo-fi, sounding like a Kinks demo smudged with dirt. But a minute and a half in, a filter sweep wipes away the smudges and “Tony” blossoms into a towering, ever-expanding tune. Carpenter assembles the song with meticulous detail: twin guitar solos, three-part harmonies, a glittering acoustic figure, and cooing background vocals sung by Emily Easterly. It’s an instant earworm, a beautiful piece of stately pop from one of North Carolina’s finest tunesmiths.