Carson Ferris
“Driving Alone,” Acoustic Version
Here’s an impressive young writer and singer from Provo, UT who has a strong sense of melody and composition, solid social media skills, and as you can see, a sweet ride. ;) Meet Carson Ferris. His first single , a duet with the successful artist Trinidad Cardona, was released in 2021 and has wracked up almost a quarter million streams. He spent the bulk of 2022 writing for his next releases (in addition to playing shows and festivals around Utah), and doing a great job of tracking his activity on Social Media. Roll through his Instagram and you’ll see that this dude is not playing games. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, working with people twice his age and doing everything he can to get his music out there. Those types of experiences, coupled with that drive, will inevitably lead to amazing things. Not just great music and being better at his craft, but life lessons and experiences that he wouldn’t get anywhere else. The next stepping stone is the release of material. With that said, here’s our review of “Drive Alone - the Acoustic Version.”
A crisp and punchy riff in F# minor kicks us off at about 96 BPM. Nice EQ on the guitar - equal throughout the neck and just a dash of reverb. Nice use of the third to pull the progression around, solid leading tone choice. When his vocals come in, you quickly learn that he’s got some chops. Diction is clear, phrasing is more in line with someone 10 years older and his control is on point. He starts off in the lower register to keep the vibe low (it is the acoustic version, after all) and it works very well. A highlight for me here is definitely his phrasing. When he sings “yeah they all contest, which direction is best” he takes a path that is not the most obvious (rhythmically), bringing some unexpected depth to the performance. He could have flattened out the delivery on the beat, but this is a bold choice that pays off.
With the first pre-chorus he jumps up an octave but it’s not a strain on his voice - it’s a nice build. The first chorus takes him even higher, and he’s still got some vocal room to spare. The guitar part has stayed consistent throughout the arrangement so far, but take note of the keyboards that slowly enter the mix - along with some clever harmonies and effects on his voice. Great production there, nice way to give us a little payoff. It’s a longer pre-chorus and chorus than most would expect, but, the intimacy of the performance makes it work.
Second verse is a shorter pass, but the ending phrasing of “running on empty” is a strong payoff, and a nice effect. Then we’re back into the pre-chorus again, and why not - it’s very strong. Excellent job of adding some very subtle harmonies and doubles. You’ll miss it if you don’t force yourself to find it. When the second chorus drops it feels so much bigger than the song itself because they’ve done a great job in building it up.
Next up is the bridge, and a change in the chord progression with a great ascending line that keeps it all building up. Third chorus set up is chill before we get to the payoff of “just for a moment, I know where I’m going…” The ending comes fast and sweet on a great phrase, “I don’t have to drive alone.” Totally unexpected, and I appreciate that.
Interestingly, this version is 24 seconds longer than the full band version, and a half step lower. Having heard the acoustic version first, I have to say that I prefer it over the band version - which in and of itself is a fine production. You can definitely hear other potential versions in this mix, but the intimacy of the acoustic version is quite special. Whichever version is your favorite, you can’t deny that Carson has got a great team around him, and they’re putting out some quality work.
It’s going to be a lot of fun watching this guy progress over the next couple of years. As with every teenage singer, his voice is about to go through substantial changes before it settles into a sweet spot with a wider range and a bit of grit - and I’m here for it, it should be good! To have this much vocal control, instrument knowledge and composition experience at this age is going to keep him ahead of his peers for years to come. On top of that, you can tell by his posts that he’s quite the likeable young bloke, something that world needs more of. Nice job Carson, hope to see you out here in Nashville someday!