B-Side Guys

Through layers of distortion thick enough to slice, Charles Carnabuci’s “When You Cut Me” transforms masochistic devotion into shoegaze salvation. The first single from his upcoming EP doesn’t just explore pain – it amplifies it until it becomes something beautiful.

The track’s opening declaration “Of course, it’s real” sets up the raw honesty that follows, but it’s at 0:55 where Carnabuci’s vision fully materializes. The chorus erupts like a wound opening, with guitars that don’t so much play as hemorrhage emotion. His production creates a perfect storm of texture and tension, where every element feels both precise and dangerous.

What’s particularly striking is how Carnabuci uses shoegaze’s sonic toolkit to physicalize emotional damage. Lines like “Baby when you cut me/I still bleed for you” gain extra weight when delivered through waves of distortion that feel like they could draw blood themselves. The dreamy echoes create distance between action and consequence, like watching yourself bleed from outside your body.

The imagery of an “iron throne” serves dual purpose – suggesting both self-imposed suffering and regal isolation. Carnabuci’s delivery maintains vulnerability even as the instrumentation builds walls of sound around him. It’s a clever production choice that underscores the song’s themes of emotional fortification and willing surrender.

At 2:17, the chorus returns with renewed urgency, having gathered power through the verse’s building tension. Here, the driving rhythms push against the dreamy textures like a heart fighting to beat through scar tissue. The result is something that feels both wounded and defiant.

The outro Carnabuci mentions proves worthy of pride. Rather than offering resolution, it allows the song’s conflicts to dissolve into waves of guitar that feel like aftermath – the quiet after emotional bloodletting. It’s a perfect denouement for a track that treats love as both weapon and wound.

What sets “When You Cut Me” apart from standard shoegaze fare is its emotional precision. While the genre often uses noise to obscure feeling, Carnabuci uses it to amplify specific emotional states. Lines like “I tried/To see you but I’m blind” cut through the mix with stark clarity, making the surrounding chaos feel earned rather than arbitrary.

As an opening statement for his upcoming EP, “When You Cut Me” suggests an artist willing to explore the messier aspects of devotion without flinching. The production perfectly matches content to form – this is music about beautiful damage that sounds beautifully damaged.

For a song about cuts that never heal, “When You Cut Me” leaves quite a mark. It suggests that Carnabuci’s journey of “hope, heartbreak, and self-discovery” will be worth following, even if it leads through some beautifully treacherous territory.