Carl Krausnick exceeds all expectations on psych-tinged single, “Handle With Care”
Let us kick this off by immediately letting you know, this song is downright excellent. Some psychedelic music announces itself immediately with swirling excess and kaleidoscopic chaos, but “Handle With Care” by Carl Krausnick does things differently and takes a far more patient route. It doesn’t explode outward. It slowly shows itself, almost imperceptibly at first, transforming from a restrained indie rock meditation into something wonderfully strange and immersive by the time its 5 minute journey reaches the horizon.
The Memphis-based songwriter and producer already established a strong foundation earlier this year with his debut solo album Dining Companion, a self-produced project largely recorded on his own. But “Handle With Care” feels like a fascinating glimpse into the next phase of his artistry, one where collaboration, experimentation, and sonic expansion begin pushing his songwriting into even richer territory. If this is the lead single, consider us beyond excited for more already!
Built around an exceptional guitar line that loops through the song, the track thrives on gradual change. At first, the guitar feels comforting and melodic, grounding you inside a relatively familiar indie rock framework. However, Krausnick subtly reshapes that foundation over time, introducing warped synth textures, electronic flourishes, and disorienting atmospheric details that begin bending the edges of the song outward. Towards the middle to the end of the track, this song absolutely explodes in the greatest way possible.
The production work here is immaculate. Krausnick handles the majority of the instrumentation and production himself, and the level of care placed into the instrumental mixing becomes immediately apparent through headphones. Layers move subtly beneath each other, revealing new details with each listen. Believe us when we say you’re going to want to listen more than just once.
His vocals are another major highlight. Positioned high in the mix, they act almost like a guide through the song’s increasingly surreal environment. The modulation and effects placed on his voice are subtle but incredibly effective. Too often it feels like vocal effects in psych-leaning indie music feel heavy-handed or overly stylized. We felt like he used them more like emotional shading and to give things a zip of pizzazz.
The contributions from his former bandmates Hite McLean on drums and Joe Boone on bass add even more dimension to the track. By the time the extended outro fully dissolves into its playful atmosphere, the song has become something far larger than its original structure suggested. Of course their help on the instrumentals really heightened the senses of it all, but the composition of the track would have been great no matter what. It’s psychedelic without becoming indulgent and technically impressive from start to finish.
Most importantly, it’s genuinely beautiful. This is a world you want to get into it and we’ve got a sneaking suspicion that plenty more is on the way. Go ahead and click those links below to listen in, follow along, and of course to stay tuned for more.
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