Neve Cariad - Cul-de-sac
Written by Emilia Valente (27/11/23)
About...
Neve Cariad is a Leeds based artist blending indie folk with an Americana country style. ‘Cul-de-sac’ lives within an earthy soundscape with its warm tones and easy listenability
Lyrics...
The track begins as a warm story of a man and child playing on the front lawn of a home in a cul-de-sac. It takes a turn when someone is spotted watching them from the bushes, dressed up in a wolf costume. The repetition of ‘I couldn’t turn myself back’ and ‘there wasn’t enough room’ alludes to a sense of entrapment and impending doom. The cul-de-sac imprisons the wolf’s victims while the protagonist is unable to hide. The title and lyrics indicate that the cul-de-sac is literally and metaphorically the end of the road
Production...
The production is spacious and natural, paying ode to the Americana Folk style with sliding guitars and simple production. The track reminds me of artists such as Damien Rice with its forward-thinking singer songwriter style, it also reminds me of elements of ‘Losing My Religion’. Whilst remaining warm the instrumentation remains open for Neve’s story to be told
Summary...
Being the second track within self-titled EP its clear to see Neve knows her soundscape and where she wants to travel with her music. Taking inspiration from the likes of Karen Dalton and Big Thief, Neve’s stripped back approach is refreshing in an industry full of electronic elements
