Juxtaposing melancholy lyrics with warm melodies reminiscent of Kodaline’s debut All I Want, the Swedish native Tobias Arbo guides us through a transitional period of his life in Carousel.
Best being described as Winter meeting Spring, there’s a serene beauty that surrounds the soundscape. The ambient melodies blend into one another to form a vibrant array of mesmerising colours, ranging from cool tones that bring back morose memories, to warm natural tones that let you embrace a new beginning. It’s a balance between looking for a way out of the downward times, waiting for the storm to pass over, and the excitement of new horizons that let you experience the freedom of living again.
Arbo’s voice is the highlight of this whole piece however. He knows how to croon a wistful tune that lets you take hold of your sadness, but gives you an underlying sense of hope through it all. Like little buds breaking through the earth as Spring arrives, his voice is the life that harbours underneath the desolate landscape we currently see.