CHILDCARE are back, returning to the scene with their new single ‘Karaoke Mantra’.
CHILDCARE have been pretty quiet over the past few years, after the release of their debut album Wabi-Sabi in 2019. In 2020, the band released a selection of remixes of their track ‘Sugarcane’, taken from Wabi-Sabi. The remixes featured works from the likes of Pumarosa and Ora the Molecule but didn’t include any new material from the band.
Their new single ‘Karaoke Mantra’ is an electronic space adventure, thematically fitting well into the back catalogue of the band. With an introductory mix of odd vocals and frantic synth melodies, we are transported back to their weird and wonderful mix of indie madness. Previous live shows have showcased strange breathing exercises and chants of inner peace. It’s these live shows that I am reminded of, as vocalist Ed Cares begins to list off a list of accomplishments: “I can do yoga / I’ve been to Berlin”. CHILDCARE’s lyrics often seem to come back to some sort of self-care or spirituality: “I’m into tantra, and spiritual things”. This second verse lyric introduces the backing vocals of Emma Topolski, a voice you make recognise from many a Bombay Bicycle Club track.
Something about the bass riffs in CHILDCARE’s music makes me think of The Drums, feeling as though I should be on Brighton beach, unsuccessfully learn how to surf. There’s certainly a beachy feel to their music, and ‘Karaoke Mantra’ is no exception. There’s an odd juxtaposition in the lyrics of this new track, listing off apparent achievements whilst reflecting on the audience: “Got your Graze Box? Got your flip flops? Got your green stocks?” It’s usually quite frustrating to read a review that just paraphrases lyrics from a track, but when so many of a band’s lyrics are bewildering, it’s hard not to keep discussing them.
Similarly, the lyric “Like playing recorder on the beach” is met with a warbling birdsong, like one of those children’s whistles that never seemed to work. As ever, CHILDCARE’s signature sound is carefully curated with the backing vocals of Topolksi, usually an octave lower or higher than the main vocals. Although a lower harmony is not common of many female accompanying vocalists, it’s this feature that helps to develop the groovy and ear-catching sound of CHILDCARE.
The chorus details a low repetition, sharing the perspective of things that the vocalist wanted to happen in his life. It is followed by a low chanting line that increases in pitch, adding to the overall odd immediacy of the song. The whirring and wobbling lead guitar melody and the backing synth makes me feel like CHILDCARE could probably be creating a sci-fi soundtrack of some kind, something that would be great to explore in an accompanying music video. Who knows, Doctor Who could do with some fresh tracks?
From this single release, we can happily rejoice in the fact that CHILDCARE are back in business, and hopefully grab a Graze sponsorship deal from this release. I’m not sure that there’s a better way to finish a song, than with the rejoicing exclamation of “Karaokeeeeee”, hammering the name of the track well and truly into our brains.
