Jimmy Pitts
There’s a storied tradition of American icons traveling overseas to find an appreciative audience. Guitar god Jimi Hendrix found a home in England. Saxman Dexter Gordon, along with a slew of other jazz musicians, took up residency in Paris. Even David Hasselhoff could be a rock star in Germany. It makes sense then that an American legend the size of Roy Orbison would find a fitting tribute from a group of artists in Berlin.
The Underground Youth and Laura Carbone tackle Roy Orbison’s best cuts on their new EP, In Dreams. Mixed by current Jesus and Mary Chain guitarist Scott Von Ryper, the EP is a hazy, shoegaze affair. Each of the album’s four songs was selected to, “chart the age-old narrative of falling in and out of love,” and feature production heavily reminiscent of Jesus and Mary Chain. The album’s anchor is a haunting vibrato guitar, its ghostly sound bolstered by hushed distortion and the earthy strums of an acoustic. The effect is otherworldly, further accentuated by stripping Orbison’s songs of their ornamentation. All the strings and percussion are shelved here – forcing the listener into an ethereal headspace.
Without the bells and whistles, the treatment of the vocals might be the most interesting aspect of In Dreams. Every track is sung as a duet between Laura Carbone and The Underground Youth’s Craig Dyer. Carbone has an incredibly agile voice, her slight vocal inflections coupled with her command of the higher register perfectly suits Orbison’s delivery. This is especially notable on album standout “Crying.” Dyer, on the other hand, teeters on the edge of his lower register. His delivery is plain-spoken, reminiscent of Orville Peck’s, and serves to ground the angelic quality of Carbone in the harsh reality of love lost.
Loneliness, which is often a two-way street, is what shines through on In Dreams. Ironically, a track like “Love Hurts” has been performed as a duet for so long now that we forget Orbison sung it alone. Fittingly, Carbon and Dyer recorded this record during the pandemic. By sending audio files back and forth, recording each part alone at home, they managed to push through the loneliness and isolation of lockdown together. Just like he did with the legions of heartbroken teenagers from decades past, Roy Orbison brought Laura Carbone and The Underground Youth together in their loneliness. Now, pass me that bottle of lonely wine.
Watch The Video “Love Hurts” directed by The Underground Youth’s Olya Dyer:
“Love Hurts” Available on All Streaming Platforms Today // Listen here
Spotify/Apple Pre-save ‘In Dreams’ here
Pre-order ‘In Dreams’ 10″ Vinyl here
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