Cavalo55 - ‘Late Harvest’
We first discovered Portugal-based multi-instrumentalist Simone Carugati, aka Cavalo55, back in March, when he gave the world “A White Building,” a raw and gritty ditty with which we immediately fell in love. Today, he is back on the blog with the release of his new EP, Late Harvest.
While we do not generally review entire EPs, we figured that we could make a small exception, being that “A White Building” is one of its four songs. So, without further ado, let’s talk about track 1, “Hi’s&Lo’s.” This one starts with a slow, lo-fi beat, soon joined by some vibey, tremolo-infused guitar and some distant, ghostly slide for atmosphere. In just under fifteen seconds, Carugati has already ensured the complete and total attention of the listener– just in time for his honest vocal to begin. A highlight here, for us, is the way that the production swells on the refrain with a dreamy reverb, filling the sonic space to its capacity.
Track 2, “Espresso Martini,” is another dark and gritty number, beginning with a sort of sparse, DIY arrangement that only includes guitar and vocal. But do not be fooled by its initial bareness– as it rolls on, ethereal and cinematic background vocals are added, perfectly framing Carugati’s storytelling. At the one-minute point, the song bursts into its full production, with a more upbeat rhythm and a melodious lead guitar dipped in some of the aforementioned tremolo, gliding through the song, at times mirroring Carugati’s vocal performance.
The third song, “acdc,” continues the vibey motif that occurs throughout the first two songs, bringing a hefty dose of the reasons we initially became fans of Cavalo55 in the first place. As mentioned in our review of “A White Building,” Carugati has a style that is reminiscent of Gregory Alan Isakov and Lord Huron– two of our all-time faves. And within “acdc,” listeners are bound catch a little bit of both as he confidently places his words above a layer of guitar, with the production intentionally left a bit dusty and lo-fi, covered in a blanket of thick reverb. It isn’t long before the rest of the band arrives, with Victor Butuc (drums) and João Pedro Silva (bass) providing a thick and steady rhythm. All of these songs are so authentic and magnificent that it is impossible to pick a favorite.
If you’re curious about our review of track 4, “A White Building,” you can click here, but we assure you that it’s filled with nothing but good things. Cavalo55 is the kind of artist that you hear once and then immediately become a fan and we feel that we’ve been waiting for this EP for far too long. Do yourself a favor and carve out fifteen minutes of your day to have a listen– your satisfaction is guaranteed.
-HD