Martin Carr first made a name for himself in the early ’90s as the guitarist/songwriter of the Boo Radleys, whose Everything’s Alright Forever (1992), Giant Steps (1993) and Wake Up! (1995) remain essential listening from the Britpop era. The Boos disbanded in 1999, and Carr began releasing records under the bravecaptain moniker for the better part of a decade before issuing Ye Gods (And Little Fishes) under his own name in 2009. Carr is back with third solo LP New Shapes Of Life (Tapete), a compact, sophisticated and personal pop album inspired in part by the death of David Bowie. Carr will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week.
Carr: Long ago, when the 21st century was still in its infancy, I bought two jumpers. I can’t remember where or how much they cost, but they were lush. One was grey and the other blue; the blue one fell apart after a couple of years, but the grey one became a part of me. Everywhere I went, I carried a bag with it in case I got cold or anxious. I mentioned it in songs, wore it onstage and when it too started to fall apart, I cryogenically froze it in my basement and there it lies, waiting for technology to advance to the point where cotton can be repaired, a hole in a jumper can be fixed. Until that day, I wait alone.
