Tanner Carlson Shows Promising Talent on ‘Stuck’

Nashville-based University student Tanner Carlson has released his latest five-track EP titled ‘Stuck’. 

Drawing similarities to early works from the likes of Shawn Mendes, Tanner Carlson is a promising young talent in the world of pop.

 

‘Stuck’ is a cohesive and relatively short but sweet EP, featuring five tracks, with the average track length being two minutes thirty seconds. 

Carlson wastes no time on unnecessary production, intros, or outros and gets straight to the point in his tracks. 

 

Opening with title track ‘stuck’, the laid-back and simple vibe of the project is laid out. The track is heavily focussed on Carlson’s vocals, with a steady plucked electric guitar backing defining the rhythm of the track. No need for over-production, the mellow backing accompanies the singer’s soft vocals.

This is echoed in the feel-good track ‘thin line’ which has a steady beat, and the magic lies in the lyricism. Carlson sings of relationship struggles, ‘’walking on a thin line, maybe it’s a bad time,’’ as the EP embodies a multitude of feelings relating to struggles in love and life.

 

Other tracks on the EP such as ‘big decisions’ are more hi-fi, featuring higher levels of production. This track in particular seems like one you might hear in an indie teen movie, with a smooth electric guitar backing and faded synth accompaniment. Carlson tackles themes of a failing relationship and teenage heartbreak with lyrics such as ‘’big decisions to make but you always know what to say.’’

 

‘burberry covers’ has a similar style to ‘big decisions’ as both tracks share a catchy melody and memorable choruses. This seems to be a track where Carlson experiments with a deeper and more motivational style of song-writing, with lyrics such as ‘’I just use my strength to pull you up’’ and ‘’if you want to change the future speak up for it today.’’ This sets the tone for the final track on the EP, ‘something around me’, which is the shortest yet most poignant track. The introduction borders on fast spoken word, as Carlson talks about topics of grief and moving on. 

The track is a fitting end to an EP that sees Tanner Carlson come into his own with a new and mature style.

 

 

Amrit Virdi

@_amritvirdi @thevinylwriter

Image: Stuck EP Artwork