Song of the Day: Black Carnation - One Fine Night in a Daydream

Jangle Pop. While the term might not mean much to most listeners today, it was the dominant form of alternative rock (on both sides of the Atlantic) in the late 80s to early 90s. As 70s punk gave way to 80s new wave and synth pop, underground bands were looking for more earthy sounds, moving away from sythesizers and often including acoustic guitars and instruments borrowed from folk rock. There was less emphasis on the lead guitar licks of glam metal and arena rock, and more emphasis on jangly guitar rhythms, hence the name.
In the Christian scene, bands like The Throes and Black and White World led the way in the genre, but there were also a few underground gems that didn’t see much attention–The Walk, The Swoon, and today’s featured artist Black Carnation. While the band name might suggest goth rock, nothing could be further from the truth. After recording two self-released demos that mixed disparate sounds ranging from hard rock to folk, the band finally found their sound on their one-and-only label release for the stellar Blonde Vinyl Records.
“One Fine Night in a Daydream” had been released on their independent cassette Hope, but the version here added some splendid horns and maximizes effective use of studio production. Lyrically the band juxtaposed hope in Christ with a healthy touch of cynicism at the condition of the world, hinted at in the album title It Remains the Same.