Slack Times - "Carried Away"

The Southern United States has produced some of the finest jangle-pop known to man. Of course, we’re all familiar with R.E.M., arguably the founding fathers of alternative rock and one of the all-time elite purveyors of ringing guitar melodies. The Athens, Georgia natives massaged the guitar sounds of 60s psych-pop into something new and palatable for the next generation of jangle lovers. Beyond that quartet’s far-reaching and lasting impact, bands like Guadalcanal Diary, Let’s Active, The Swimming Pool Q’s, and Pylon, all hailed from cities below the Mason-Dixon Line and could wield a Rickenbacker guitar as effectively as the Mcguinns and Clarks that came before them.  The foundations of this gorgeous sound continues to span eras. More recently, artists like Oxford, Mississippi-native Anne Freeman knocked me off my feet with her effervescent guitar pop stylings, and most recently, I stumbled upon the wonderful Slack Times, a trio built solidly in the Athens pop mold.

Slack Times call Birmingham, Alabama home and you can certainly trace the lineage back from Stipe and co. to this budding group of musicians. Guitarist Chris McCauley assumes vocal duties on “Carried Away,” sounding very much like a youthful Tom Petty or Sid Griffin in a way that perfectly complements their flourishing guitar work. The song incorporates a bit of the twangier side of the Paisley Underground, with The Long Ryders definitely popping up as a reference point in my mind for this particular track.

You'll definitely want to work Slack Times into your listening rotation if you’ve been enjoying UV-TV, Holy Tunics, Ducks Ltd., and The Stroppies. Hell, if you’re spinning those bands on a regular basis, then the algorithm will probably serve them up on a silver platter.

The band also shared a video for the song, which you can stream below.

“Carried Away” is the title track from Slack Times’ forthcoming compilation, which collects their two previous released EPs, At The Melon Rendezvous and Up Here, and features six brand new songs. You can pre-order it now on limited edition red vinyl via Bandcamp. The record drops on June 24th via Meritorio Records.

Keep up with Slack Times by following them on Instagram.