New Music: Naked Brunch – Carpark

A witty and thought-provoking band name is matched by some equally clever music thanks to Carpark by Londoners Naked Brunch.

It’s a delicate and carefully drawn exploration of baroque and chamber pop, led by a guitar melody that reads like maudlin morse code and vocals that are evocative of cold mornings and doomed affairs.

It gets me thinking that it has something of the byways 80s Manchester-focused indie scene about it; The Railway Children you can detect in the intricacies of the everyday lyrics, and The Wake’s complex rhythms within spartan arrangements. The latter is skewed by the growing presence of the tension-inducing cello and discord represented by that crescendo of guitars, as the baritone of the lead vocals are strong and isolated, fleetingly greeted by backing vocals and staccato handclaps.

There’s a strange joy to be found in Carpark, but joy is where you find it, and as the song explores, the fates might direct us to go back and find it again. Says the band, “Carpark is about the familiar feelings that certain places bring us and the lengths we will go to to try and recreate them.”

You can hear Carpark and more music by Naked Brunch on Spotify. The band has been gigging regularly in the London area – for news on upcoming music and live dates, check out their Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok feeds.