Caleb Nichols Navigates Grief and Hope in ‘Car Park’
Caleb Nichols’ latest single ‘Car Park’ offers a captivating glimpse into the emotional heart of his forthcoming album, ‘Stone Age Is Back.’
With a career that threads together queer poetry and indie songwriting, Nichols has crafted a record that feels both urgent and contemplative, wrestling with the weight of existence in an era defined by upheaval.
‘Car Park’ stands out as a moment of clarity and bittersweet reflection amid the album’s sprawling meditation on grief, joy, and the tangled feelings that arise during what Nichols frames as a kind of modern mass extinction. The track gently drifts in on ethereal verses that evoke the lingering uncertainty of early 2000s indie, a time when Nichols was cutting his teeth with Port O’Brien. The song’s opening feels like a quiet breath, floating effortlessly until the third verse hits with an emotional surge reminiscent of Arcade Fire’s expansive anthems. Here, Nichols steps beyond the ghostly, layered vocals often compared to Elliott Smith and lets his voice soar with a heartfelt intensity.
Produced by Nichols himself and polished by Jay Pellicci, ‘Car Park’ is part of an album recorded in just five days, a burst of energy that feels rare in today’s music. The record as a whole resists being pinned down to any concept, instead offering a nuanced exploration of what it means to live and feel deeply in a time of change.
‘Stone Age Is Back’ is set for release on October 3rd via Royal Oakie Records.
Headline photo: Aidan Dillon
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