Springtime Carnivore

The debut album from Springtime Carnivore (aka the nom de tune of Greta Morgan) is a dreamy work of ebullient pop and looming psychedelia, evoking a mellow high on a Sunday afternoon, where everything is magnified and glows in Technicolor. Produced by Morgan and sonic wizard Richard Swift (The Black Keys, The Shins, Foxygen), the album crackles with warmth and employs faded strings, blown-out drums, fuzzy guitars, and pawnshop keyboards to adorn widescreen vocals. It builds on a foundation of classic folk and pop songwriting, synthesizing those roots with capricious production that turns and careens unexpectedly, casting her melodic songs in varied light and from surprising angles. The songs sound familiar and utilize classic approaches, but are skewed and distinctly modern. There’s an index card tacked to the wall of Morgan’s rehearsal space. It reads “no cheap tricks,” and its command is heeded on Springtime Carnivore’s 14 heavenly songs.