With Candyfloss Girl, Cork singer-songwriter John Leo Carter and friends have done a rare thing. They’ve created a touching, soothing, seamlessly flowing album that can be played again and again, providing a fresh experience every time.
Drawing from the genres of Irish trad, folk-rock and balladeering, Carter carves a distinct and contemporary sound, his rich Nick Drake/Tim Buckley-style vocals set against a stunning instrumental backdrop featuring a large cast of virtuoso musicians. Fiddle, viola, harp, harmonica, bouzouki and – surprisingly – jazzy clarinet add beautifully textured layers to the guitars and percussion in these brilliantly crafted songs. But what really steals the show are the vocal harmonies. Fellow Cork singer-songwriter John Spillane adds his beautiful voice on two tracks, and Mairead Kelly provides harmonies in others. As the different voices separate and coalesce, a wonderful sense of space, depth and dimension emerges, reminiscent of the harmonies created by Crosby, Stills and Nash.
All Carter’s songs here are top quality. ‘Things Were Late Today’ is slow and mellow, clarinet adding great atmosphere; ‘Crossroads’ is faster and sees Carter revealing the raw power in his often subtle voice; ‘The Ancient Lake’ has guitar that sparkles and glimmers like light on water, while Phelan Brooks raps gentle poetry across ‘The Times Were Missing’, the song that he and Carter co-wrote.
‘Candyfloss Girl’ and ‘The Light On’ are odes and prayers for Carter’s daughters, expressing the love of a father for his children with musical eloquence and emotion you can feel. “Your sweet smile floats upon the water,” sings Carter in ‘Candyfloss Girl’, “Way out to sea/Way past the sunset/Setting the north sky on fire.” Carter’s lyrics are pure poetry, visually striking, with their images from the natural world often tinged with a poignant sense of change’s inevitability.
Thematically very strong, John Leo Carter’s album is like one long song containing eleven distinct and varied movements. A deeply fulfilling experience to the listener.