AC II: Desert Sky is a dreamy and expansive release that feels as at home being moody and atmospheric as it is being whimsical and reflective
A fiercely exciting and creative duo who’s sound broaches a lot of different styles and forms, Ask Carol are an alternative indie-rock duo that have emerged from the remote Norwegian mountain community of Auma with a point to prove. The release of their new sophomore LP AC II: Desert Sky is a collection of tracks that does a great job of capturing everything that makes the duo feel so exciting and a thoughtful blending of their experiences over the last few years.
The album opens with ‘Desert’, a thoughtful track that forms the basis for the whole collection of tracks, with the others based around it. There is a dreamy allure to the track and its low-key appeal that is punctuated by an excellent vocal performance and a level of nuance and atmospheric world-building that feels masterful in its approach.
‘Wind In My Hair’ follows and has a bit more of an intense and atmospheric feel to it as it progresses. The underlying tension is undercut by an intoxicating vocal performance that is packed full of a hazy, seductive allure and a sense of grit and strength that perfectly matches the tone and feel of the track, making for a listening experience that sucks you in and holds you there until it reaches its conclusion.
This sense of coolness and composure follows straight through into ‘Cold July’, a track with a slightly more guitar-driven, folky inflection but still one that highlights everything that makes Ask Carol feel so distinctive and memorable, just now with a more sweet and melodic exterior.
The album is then broken up by two largely instrumental tracks in ‘Are You Leaving Us Here…’ and ‘More Cowbell?’, the first being another example of the duo’s more brooding and atmospheric tendencies whereas the latter is a lot more playful and fun in its approach.
The country-tinged ‘Writing On The Wall’ again continues to broaden the scope of the album while maintaining the sense of personality and distinctiveness that ties the tracks together. The track is built upon a solid yet simplistic hook, and expertly just builds itself around it as it adds depth and layers around it alongside a compelling narrative that takes a trip into murky themes like betrayal and lines being crossed that can’t be undone.
There is a real heart and rawness that surrounds ‘Ohio’, a track that has a sombre tone as its wartime imagery paints bleak images of conflict and hardship that leaves a striking impression on you as a listener. These moments do a great job of articulating just how powerful Ask Carol and their sound can be, possessing vocals that can shapeshift and convey a wide range of emotions and tones with devastating effect.
‘Seasons’ is a track with a real sense of softness and subtlety to it throughout, boasting a sound that feels stripped-back and intimate to match a reflective tone that has this warm and alluring glow throughout. It makes for a really compelling listen, and one of the most human and authentic feeling moments of honesty on an album that is packed full of them throughout.
The alluring and flowing ‘Desert Sky’ is a track that is largely instrumental for long portions, and it provides the track with this sense of space that allows it to flow and move in a way that feels vast and open, not unlike a desert itself. When the vocals cut through, it feels like an appreciation of this vastness and open space that has been created, before giving way to some more moments of expression and charm that come through its wandering sound.
The brief acoustic ‘Moo Moo’ provides the album with a suitably western-feeling closer that draws the collection of tracks to an end, and it feels worth mentioning how brief the time spent with the album feels. Alongside the interludes and cute little instrumental tracks the album absolutely flies by, with the soft moments of reflection, atmospheric tension, and ever-thoughtful writing and lyrics making for a collection of tracks that create a world that is a pleasure to spend time in, and one that is more than worth re-visiting.
