Carousel Kings
Sep 22, 2019
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Carousel Kings is a pop punk band based in the greater Philadelphia area. Haling from
Lancaster, PA, the band consists of David Alexander, Cody Jay Williams, Will Barovick,
and Danny Wilkins. Formed in 2008, Carousel Kings has spent the last decade
establishing themselves as a staple act of pop punk scenes all around the world, releasing an impressive collection of albums and EP’s as well as playing shows in places like New York City, Atlanta, GA, Austin, TX, Nashville, TN, Seattle, WA, Los Angeles, CA, and even an eventful tour in the United Kingdom. Close to home venues they’ve played include Chameleon Club and Penn Square in Lancaster, as well as Kung Fu Necktie in Philly. An unquestionably accomplished act, Carousel Kings is currently signed with Victory Records.
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In May 2019, Carousel Kings released their latest album, titled Plus Ultra. The eleven-
track album is another fantastic addition to the band’s discography, and gives listeners a high energy sound that pop punk fans love to hear. The first single, “Code Breaker
(Smile),” has some very technical guitar work throughout, making use of alternate
picking, interesting strumming patterns, and guitar harmonies in several spots. The drums and bass perfectly lock in with each other to add “thunder” to the guitars’ “lightning.” Vocals are fantastic, capturing great pop punk energy with unique melody and rhythms, with the incorporation of great backing vocals throughout. “Lock Meowt” is the second single, and gives the listener a combination of lighter and heavier sections that interact perfectly rather than feel awkward. Listeners will once again hear very technical guitars that reach a peak at the insanely virtuosic instrumental bridge section. The drum part, which sets the tone for both the light and heavy sections, is also technical and very present throughout, and the bass part goes through notes and progressions quickly and smoothly, creating lots of melodic rhythm parts. The vocal melody is also very melodic with great range, tying everything together on what’s an incredible track all around. “Monarch” is the third and final single, changing things up with the addition of some piano and synth, but still keeping extremely high energy. The guitars are very warm and full sounding, with more of an emphasis on rhythm while still keeping technical elements in sections like the instrumental bridge. Once again, bass and drums do a great job at locking in and setting the energetic tone, and the vocals show off range and unique melody with the addition of some swirling effects. This track also has a key change towards the end, which adds a cool and dramatic touch that helps bring out the finality of the last chorus. These singles are fantastic, but all eleven tracks on Pulse Ultra show listeners why Carousel Kings is a popular and well received band.
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Currently, Carousel Kings’ most recent show was at the Rebel Lounge in Phoenix, AZ,
along with McCafferty, Ramonda Hammer, and Sore Eyes. The next chance to see them
live will be on September 27th at Underground Arts in Philly, along with Cassettes,
Suntitle, and Evergo. Carousel Kings has accomplished so much over their 10 year run as a band, and with the help of their new album and a tour coming up in November, there’s no sign of them slowing down anytime soon. Follow them today and listen to their pop punk sound that’s loved by fans all over the world.
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