Artist: Billy Carter

Album: The Yellow EP

Label: Electric Muse

Released: January 2016

 

“We are gonna fuck you with our music and you’ll get pregnant. Giving birth is wonderful. I love you!”

…is what it says on Billy Carter’s Twitter page. When you listen to them you would never guess this trio is from South Korea. Two girls and one guy play Southern blues complete with an acoustic guitar and harmonica. When I saw them live in Seoul, it was bewildering to watch both of the girls perform. Both very pretty and petite, and one of them wearing stilettos complemented by a massive acoustic guitar and a bare tattooed shoulder. As a result, I can see the guys perform this EP when I listen to it!

All songs are performed in English, sang with an American accent. Each one is very different from the other– some are more upbeat and others are slower. In the first song, the vocalist clearly shows off her powerful voice and how much she can do with it by repeating the phrase, “I love you,” in different ways. The second song has a sound of the ocean in background and is sung ever so gently. “French Boy” reminds me of the White Stripes. “I Don’t Care” screams hillbilly and the album finishes with “Traffic,” which is another quiet and gentle song.

After giving an introduction like they did on their Twitter page (as quoted above), I would have expected Billy Carter to be more eccentric with their music. I expected a bit more energy and more alluring lyrics. Maybe they could have achieved more lyrical perfection if they sang in Korean, but I guess they tried to give it that bluesy sound. I am still impressed with the record and just think the introduction they give themselves is a bit misleading. If you are not expecting craziness, this record is lovely.

Billy Carter’s The Yellow EP is out on Electric Muse on 12 January 2016. You can listen and digitally purchase it here: https://electricmuse.bandcamp.com/album/billy-carter-the-yellow-ep.

By Alisa