Demonology — Part 1 EP by Candi Carpenter | Album Review
Carpenter leaves country music behind as they opt for a more alt-pop sound on this highly personal release.
Candi Carpenter has been a rising star in Nashville for the past 4 years. As I have stated in a prior review on Candi’s work, I originally found out about their sound from a live cover of one of my favorite Dolly Parton tracks “Little Sparrow” back in 2019. While clearly a talented singer and songwriter, Carpenter has been stuck in limbo since their initial releases back in 2019. They have worked alongside the likes of Brandi Carlile and Josh Doyle (the latter in the short lived Church of Roswell project). Carpenter has gone through a transformation in the past few years. They have come out as non-binary and began deconstructing the trauma surrounding her heavily Christian past. Their latest release, Demonology — Part 1, acts to purge the shackles of religion and abuse in order to free themselves.
The first single teased from this project is “Exorcist”. I had reviewed this track when it had originally dropped back in December 2022. I really appreciated the song’s dreamy mix synths as Candi took to an alt-pop sound. I still find their honesty on lines like, “I always assumed I only liked boys, but now I’m not sure/ And the first time anyone touched me, they didn’t ask me first,” to be especially telling around how they have been unpacking the childhood trauma they’ve pushed aside until now. This still one of my favorites off of this project. I also think it was a great introduction to the themes of deconstructing of their fundamental Christian upbringing that carry throughout the rest of this EP.
“Serial Killer” brings me back to high school with its full on pop rock sound. The electric guitar full on reminds me of the Fountains of Wayne hit “Stacy’s Mom”. I think the song wouldn’t work under any other treatment. There is this tongue-in-cheek sarcasm in Carpenter’s words that would fall flat without this energy. As they purged her demons on the EP’s opening track, now they’re grappling with their continued trust issues. The safety of this healthy relationship has them on edge that some horrid is waiting in the background to come out, “And you’re not my type because/ You’re so nice to me all the time/ You remember my middle name/ And you’re a pretty good listener/ I’m still scared I’m gonna find out you’re a serial killer.” This song as grown on me more and more with each listen. It’s got a great blend of wit and nostalgia to check all the boxes for me.
Carpenter takes us back to her teenage years on “Novels About Vampires”. The song goes in a more alt-pop sound. The backing organ gives a flowing feeling as rock elements bring in the youthful energy of their formative years. Candi does a great job maintaining a tragic sense of innocence around this imaged realm. They look back at this relationship with a pained sense of sorrow due to her past beliefs getting in their way, “You felt me up behind the dumpsters/ I never got the sex talk from my mother/ I was ashamed, and I was repressed/ I closed my eyes when I got undressed/ You respected my religion/ I broke up with you because you weren’t a Christian.” It’s simple yet effective in its need for an escape from the chains of fundamentalism.
Candi looks back on her dire need to fit in back in school on “Skinny”. This is more a calm pop-rocker. While it doesn’t grab me as much as some of the other tracks on the release, I do like power that Carpenter gives this song. They do a great just taking us back to the raw, hopeless feelings of being in high school, “To be skinny/ Pretty and popular/ Like a movie star at the blockbuster/ Anything but an ugly awkward kid/ I was dyin’ for someone to notice it/ I was too skinny/ Skinny/ They called me skinny/ Skinny.” I think a lot of us can relate to the need to feel good enough. Candi does a great job bringing this feeling to life on this track.
“Nervous System” is one of the only tracks on the album that doesn’t really do it for me. Something about 80s pop treatment cheapens this song. I also think the chorus, “I have a nervous system/ I’m nervous all the time,” feels a bit too cutesy for me. Carpenter focuses on their struggles with anxiety and how its effected the many facets of their life. Personally, I wish the song had a different sound. As it stands, it is a bit annoying to hold the weight I think they want it to hold. I would honestly skip this track.
The final song, “Cult”, sees Carpenter deconstructing the heaps of religious trauma they dealt with growing up. Candi gives the song gives the song an alt-rock wash to add the needed angst over the religious trauma they endured throughout their childhood. One of the most pointed lines on their indoctrination comes from the second verse, “I sat in science class and I fantasizеd/ About getting killed because I stood up for Christ/ I’d get a new body, a crown and a mansion/ I’d be the most popular angel in heaven,” which calls to the lie of someone being killed at Columbine for being a Christian.
Even though I did enjoy their work with Josh Doyle on the short lived Church of Roswell project, this album has an honesty that feels truly authentic to where Carpenter is at this point in their life. Songs like “Exorcist”, “Novels About Vampires”, and “Cult” really shed a light on how a religiously controlled childhood can cause lasting negative effects on a person in the long run. I also enjoyed the playful nature they took on “Skinny” and “Serial Killer”. The only song I really didn’t care for was “Nervous System”. If this is a two part release, I will interested to see what else Candi has to say on her second part of this project. I think if you are a fan of pop-rock and looking for something with a little more substance, then you will really dig this EP. My overall thoughts on Demonology — Part One:
Loved it: “Exorcist”, “Serial Killer”, “Novels About Vampires” & “Cult”
Liked it: “Skinny”
Disliked it: “Nervous System”
My overall rating: 7.5 out of 10.
