Categories: REVIEWS

Larry Karpenko – Little Things New

“Little Things New” is the latest release by Larry Karpenko, an exceptional American singer-songwriter based in Loma Linda, California. It’s his first piece of work this year, arriving after “Beautiful Together,” a critically acclaimed full-length album released in 2016 that you should also check out as soon as possible. After such a long break, he returns with some fresh music that will immediately appeal to anyone who appreciates soulful, emotive, tastefully assembled, and expertly performed music. His latest piece of sonic artistry arrives with many innovations in songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing, showcasing the natural progression of such an incredible artist. Lyrically, “Little Things New” is about looking for the right person, falling in love, and building a life together. It’s a story about love, life, relationships, different sentiments, moods, situations, and circumstances, so it’s a highly relatable composition that will immediately resonate with the broader auditorium. By drawing inspiration from bands and artists like Dashboard Confessional, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Bruno Mars, Larry Karpenko combines a singer-songwriter approach with many complementary music genres to illustrate luxuriant sonic imagery. Perhaps indie folk comes to mind first, but don’t be surprised if you stumble upon some of the finest properties borrowed from contemporary pop, dream pop, indie pop, etc. He uses all these additional elements as more than necessary enhancements, accentuations, decorations, and other details to elevate his music to new heights while simultaneously remaining loyal to the primary sonic direction. Therefore, these experimentations with various subgenres of pop music resulted in a catchy, memorable, engaging composition that will immediately resonate with not only fans of the genres but also those listeners stumbling upon Larry Karpenko’s music for the first time.

Photo courtesy of the band.

As soon as you press play, the calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal, otherwordly ambiance wraps around your listening apparatus and refuses to let go long after the song ends. Larry Karpenko cleverly constructed the entire structure by garnering it with profoundly detailed segments, brilliant ideas, and marvelous orchestration. He considered everything while writing, composing, arranging, and producing his latest single, making “Little Things New” such a beautiful composition worth repeating over and over again. From the onset, it becomes apparent that he poured his heart and soul into it. You’ll immediately notice how his passionate, soulful, sincere, confident, emotional, and powerful vocal performance commands attention, guides the listening apparatus, and elevates the entire track from scratch to finish with such precision and finesse. His impressive vocal range seamlessly balances low, mid, and high notes, spicing things up and emphasizing everything he intended to achieve with this number. Each vocal harmony is filled with raw, unfiltered emotion, decorating each segment and instrumentation with passion. His fascinating vocal abilities contribute emotional depth and add more complexity to an already intricate composition, making “Little Things New” worth revisiting every time you crave some marvelous sonic experience. Also, it’s also good to mention that these vocal harmonies flawlessly suit all those magnificent guitar works. You’ll notice how all these guitar layers shape a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon. These guitar works are so cleverly implemented into the song’s core, so they do not overwhelm each other. You’ll stumble upon so many beautiful, marvelously composed, expertly performed, catchy chord progressions, harmonies, melodies, accentuations, and other sonic delicacies, lurking around and elevating Larry Karpenko’s vocal performance to new heights. Also, there are subtle yet vividly hearable beats, holding everything together while providing a steady tempo for Karpenko’s guitar maneuvers to glow.

“Little Things New” is a marvelous composition, a carefully assembled amalgam of impressive storytelling lyricism, fascinating vocal harmonies, lush guitar works, and subtle beats. Larry Karpenko poured heart and soul into this composition, resulting in a modern pop-infused indie folk masterpiece that will not only appeal to fans of the genre but anyone who appreciates calm, catchy, and ethereal acoustic music. The single is available on all streaming platforms. Don’t miss it!

Djordje Miladinović

Hi, my name is Djordje and music is my passion. You'll probably find me at the gigs, in a local record store, distro or in front of my PC searching for some quality music to listen to. Do not hesitate to contact me. By becoming a Patron, you're keeping Thoughts Words Action alive. https://www.patreon.com/thoughtswordsaction

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