“Stuck”, is the fourth EP by Nashville-based singer Tanner Carlson. It came out on August 20th this year. Tanner was drawn to music from his early church days and used to perform as a singer and instrumentalist. He has spent a lot of time working on his craft throughout the years by focusing on audio production/engineering techniques. Let’s hear a part of his story through “Stuck”.
EP Track List
stuck
The first track begins with a muted guitar progression and a very thick, clean bass-line reminiscent of some hip-hop tracks. Some ambient sounds and textures are heard, filling up up the soundscape nicely. Not too many instruments are being used in this track and it seems like the mix is quite good. The laid-back vocal performance along with some simple transitions between sections give this track a very chill vibe. There are some vocal harmonies in the back that fit in wonderfully with the other elements, again, aiding that “chill” feel.
big decisions
A simple, drowned-in-reverb intro that I think is recorded from some vocal samples kicks off track number two “big decisions”. The percussive elements sound really good and are quite minimal. It’s coherence with the electric guitar performance during the chorus sounds great! Though Tanner’s vocals could maybe be a bit stronger, considering the energy here is a bit different as compared to the previous track, the rusty drums and well-mixed guitars make up for that.
something around me
I was immediately drawn to the panning of the synths at the starting and found them very interesting. The hi-hat’s on “Something Around Me”, are a bit annoying in the starting because of their excessive high frequency dominance, but then the bass drum kicks in and makes a sorta bed for the other elements to lie on top of. Clocking at 1:57, this is the shortest track in the EP and it features a bit of the rusty drums from “Big Decision”.
thin line
Track number four, begins with a bass synth/guitar(?) similar to the one in “Stuck”, but a lot softer, to fit the aura of this track I assume. It’s a very posi pop song that reminiscent of some of Jai Wolf’s stuff from 2016. Tanner has worked well on the lyrics here, the line, “but it’s not a thin line, that’s just what it feels like”, sounds really great! The ending is a bit weird to me because of that “off” note, but maybe it supposed to flow into the final track in a certain way, who knows?
burberry cover
The final track, intriguingly titled, “Burberry Covers”, begins with a banjo-like guitar riff that makes itself present in multiple parts throughout the song. It is a bit detuned (noticeable on the final note of the riff), and that adds a bit of spice to the composition. Was Tanner going for something lo-fi like? Maybe. In EVERY track on this EP the kick is pretty amazing and I know I’m gonna spend a few hours trying to mimic that sample! The rusty drums make their final appearance here and now that I’m quite familiar with the sound, I feel the this particular track should have been a bit longer.
Inference
When considering his creativity and memorable vocal style, Tanner is very underrated and I think this EP deserves a few listens, there’s a lot of potential here! Tanner’s vocal performance is something familiar and unique at the same time, and can only be appreciated after listening intently. His story is quite relatable and I’m eager to hear the improvements in his next record!
Listen to the “Stuck” EP on Spotify!
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Discovered via http://musosoup.com
