New Music Critiques: Ali Carter

It’s a pleasure to hear an artist like Ali Carter who understands the power of understatement, and whose support group (including producer Harvey Jones) captures her retro-modern, ukulele-fueled, folk/jazz vision with an artful subtlety. On the gentle, lullabyesque “Open to You,” Carter’s uke seems like an elegant harp that is, at one point, contrasted with booming bass-drum accents that meld with the ambient fabric of the track. “Sex & Cigarettes” and “Union Square” show Carter’s sexy, endearing ability to deliver lyrics about the riddles and romance of relationships. Each song has dynamic swells, ebbs and flows that carry the listener along as on a mystical trip. An indie romance film could be an ideal situation for these songs.