Artist: Carbon Leaf
Album: Nothing Rhymes With Woman (Amazon Exclusive release)
Worth Buying: Yes
You will be interested in this album if you are a fan of: Toad the Wet Sprocket, R.E.M., Gomez, the Young Dubliners.
Tell Me More: Because I ranked Carbon Leaf’s 2006 epic “Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat” as my best album of 2006, I had high hopes for the band’s 2009 follow-up, “Nothing Rhymes With Woman.”
After listening to “Nothing Rhymes With Woman” for much of the last few weeks, I admit that the Richmond, Virginia-based quintet’s 2009 effort is just every bit as good as “Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat.”
In addition to lead singer-lyricist Barry Privett (who also plays penny whistle, acoustic guitar and bagpipes), the band’s lineup currently includes Terry Clark (guitar, vocals), Carter Gravatt (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Jason Neal (drums) and Jon Markel (bass).
Songs such as the soaring “Lake of Silver Bells,” blues-minded “Another Man’s Woman,” introspective “Miss Hollywood” and Celtic rocker “Pink” showcase a band that clearly has established a unique place for itself in the musical universe.
Fans of Toad the Wet Sprocket, early R.E.M. and the Young Dubliners will all find something to admire in a troupe that blends folk-rock, Americana, power-pop and modern indie rock together effortlessly.
There is a real depth across “Nothing Rhymes With Woman,” with the band using a bona fide Irish rock approach (think Young Dubliners) on “Pink,” a song whose lyrics effectively chronicle a young woman’s brave battle against disease.
“X-Ray” transports the listener back in time and artfully captures the exuberance of youth, of those fleeting days before life gets too complicated.
The bonus tracks on the album are worth getting with the melodic folk-rock of “Tip Toe” and haunting acoustic performance of “Lake of Silver Bells” providing an even richer glimpse of this group’s wide-ranging sonic gifts.
Just a quick note that Carbon Leaf is currently on tour in support of the quintet’s excellent 2009 album “Nothing Rhymes With Woman” and will headline on a strong bill that also includes a rare solo appearance by Joie Calio (of Dada fame) and singer-songwriter Trevor Hall at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on June 24.
What about the packaging? I recommend the Amazon exclusive edition, which includes the full-length album, as well as two additional tracks not available on the standard release.
Get The Exclusive Amazon Edition on CD here.
Get Exclusive Amazon Edition in MP3 Format Here
What if I am not ready to buy the whole album? Try Miss Hollywood ,
Lake of Silver Bells, or X-Ray
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