StoryTeller's debut EP Careful Now hits hard (and gentle)

"I know you probably won't ever hear this, but I just have to say you are every little thing that I could only hope to be, the best part of me." That's how StoryTeller's debut EP Careful Now starts, and it only gets better from there. Brutal honesty, infecting love stories, and emotion-laden guitar riffs suck you in deeper with every beat.

That opening lyric comes from the titular track, "Careful Now". But it's not a command, but a warning against caution. It's a beautiful description of falling recklessly in love. It embraces the risks and faces the future with hopeful and skillful guitar accompaniment.

"Hem of Your Dress" continues the theme of attachment but with a softer tone. The imagery of being "hung on the hem of your dress" illustrates a poignant longing to remain close to a loved one, with harmonies that cling like a warm embrace.

In contrast, "Surf Song" strikes a different chord with its themes of disillusionment and defiance. The opening lines, "Don't know what's going on. Why does everything feel so wrong?" set a scene of confusion and frustration. "All I know is that the world was set on fire. Watch it burn. Let it die. It's your funeral pyre." The track keeps ramping up until it crescendos into a powerful bridge, pent-up anger released with screamed lyrics and a resolve to stand apart from the crowd.

"Sweet Nothings" and "The West Coast" conclude the EP. Both walk back towards the softer tonality of StoryTeller. With tender touches and deep-seated escapist desires, the emotional rollercoaster of Careful Now comes to a close.

Stream Careful Now.

Ben McCoy

Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he's not writing for his supper, he's eating it at some of NYC's most interesting restaurants.