Album Review: Cupid’s Carnival — Color-blind
When it comes to certain substrains of powerpop (itself a subgenre), being derivative is a feature, not a bug. Do you sound like the Beatles, Badfinger, Raspberries? Success! And quote honestly, although the powerpop market is comparatively small, there’s a cottage industry for this kind of thing. So while the whole idea might put off a slice of the potential audience, the approach has its adherents.
And – when it’s executed skillfully – I’m one of those fans. Cupid’s Carnival does the whole Beatles-influenced thing, and they do it quite well. “Working All Day” evokes the ‘65 Fab Four, and “Yesterday’s Gone” hits the late ‘66 target. But Roland Skilton sounds quite a bit like John Lennon*, and the harmonies are spot-on.
Despite song titles such as “Shine On” and “Baby Blue,” this group – seemingly from the UK, but they don’t tell us much about themselves beyond their names – Cupid’s Carnival doesn’t draw from Badfinger for influence. It’s all Beatles all the time. But to their credit, the group filters those influences through its own personality, so the result doesn’t come off as slavishly imitative.
In fact, for listeners who stick around (and they should), one of the strongest tunes on the album is the aforementioned “Baby Blue.” The sweet, midtempo ballad is the least derivative track on the album, and one of the best as well.
If one can get past the Beatleisms, it’s nigh on impossible to fault this music. It’s exceedingly well-crafted, superbly catchy and will bring a smile to the lips of most anyone who hears it. For what it is, the musical approach of Cupid’s Carnival has rarely been done better than what you’ll hear on Color-blind.
* Spend some quality time with this album and Skilton’s voice beings to take on a quality closer to Liam Gallagher. “Looking for Rainbows” would fit seamlessly on (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, and that’s meant as a compliment. The direction that song takes toward its end suggests that Skilton and his band mates are aware of the similarity.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.