Formed in Manchester, UK in 2016, CARNIVAL CLUB debuted with this EP, "Magdalena's Cape" in May of 2017. I'll admit to having very high expectations of the band from the outset given their name (evocative of the "circus metal" genre that, for the most part, I love) and the blurb describing them as drawing from "every rock corner imaginable". CARNIVAL CLUB do not resemble the metal equivalents you might expect from this genre; given that this is an EP the focus is more limited and the flourishes not the particularly flamboyant material you might expect from UNEXPECT, DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA, MR. BUNGLE or KARABOUDJAN. They aren't quite the multi-genre experimenters the advert copy would lead you to believe; their cues are more subtle than that.

The band that seem most to influence CARNIVAL CLUB are RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, particularly in "Mistakes, Troubles and Kisses", but there are other strokes here. The title track is pretty identifiably influenced by PINK FLOYD from the very first note, though it's the slightly ragged vocals and the use of an acoustic for rhythm and lightly distorted electric with a phaser effect for lead that really bring to mind "Wish You Were Here" or "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". "Headache" is probably the most modern song on here, evocative of alternative dance hit "Unbelievable" by fellow Englishmen EMF. "You're So Hostile" is harder to place; it has a very windy sound to it, strongly enhanced by the violin line in the background of the chorus. "House of Cards" is definitely the weak point of the EP, a slight pity as it's placed at the beginning - a relatively uninteresting rock outing that unlike the other songs (including the ending megamix) lacks a unique selling point.

This is a somewhat more contemplative outing for a retro album. It doesn't pummel you over the crown, rot your teeth or, worst of all, waste your time. With "Magdalena's Cape", CARNIVAL CLUB are exploring less obvious avenues of memory while carefully crafting their own identity.