I'm Listening To: Vanessa Carlton

There are two albums that I have been playing repeatedly (between my random mixture of other tunes of course). One of them is the newest album by a musician I've been a fan of for a few years while the other is the 2010 debut album by an artist I've just discovered.

Vanessa Carlton's fourth album (her first on indie label Razor & Tie) was released on Tuesday. It is entitled "Rabbits On The Run" and was influenced by "A Brief History Of Time" by Stephen Hawkings and a children's book by Richard Adams called "Watership Down". She has crossed a bridge from her previous work, but hasn't burned that bridge. Her beautiful melodies, lyrics, and use of piano (which she is most known for) all remain intact while also having matured. It's the production that has changed the most and it has done so in a natural progression for Carlton who has grown up since her past records. She has opted for a less bright/loud pop production in favor of soft adult alternative that is almost ethereal in a way.

 

It's obvious that "Rabbits" was a true labor of love from the way Carlton talks about recording it; she carefully picked the team to record the album, which was recorded to tape rather than being recorded digitally, not to mention that Carlton took the time to improve herself and soul-searched before beginning to write for the record. In an interview for AOL Music Carlton said, " If I'm [in a bad mood], nothing's gonna come out. And because of that, I kind of fall deeper into the rabbit hole. Once I started really working on myself -- I started really figuring things out, searching, therapy, lots of reading, lots of listening, lots of quiet time, lots of no more drinking (laughs) -- then the process started again and I started to get better." 

I admire Carlton's honesty about life and her artistic vision for the album. My favorite songs so far are 'Carousel', 'I Don't Want To Be A Bride', 'Fairweather Friend', and 'Dear California'. One of my favorite lyrics is from 'Dear California': "your face is like a paper cut to the heart."You can listen to each of my favorite songs (with the exception of 'Fairweather Friend') on Carlton's Youtube channel. You can also watch a making of the album, 'The Four Elements Of Rabbits On The Run'.

So there you have it: an album I've been listening to on repeat lately. Leave a comment letting me know if you enjoyed this post or if you have suggestions on music I should listen to or review. Constructive criticism and respectful opinions are always welcome. Take care and happy listening. 

Vanessa Carlton's Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/VanessaCarltonVEVO?feature=watch
Vanessa Carlton's website: http://www.vanessacarlton.com/index.php

Note: The photo used is the work of Castronova Designs. More of their work can be found here: http://www.castronovadesigns.com/  The article quoted is property of AOL and can be found here: http://blog.music.aol.com/2011/07/28/vanessa-carlton-interview/

Welcome!

Welcome to Nico's Musical Musings! I decided to make this blog as a place for me to discuss my favorite topic: music. I could talk for ages about my favorite singers, songs, and albums. Sometimes I think my friends and family gets sick of hearing me talk about music so this will be my new outlet. I've never written a formal blog before so please bear with me through my beginning stumbles and I'll do my best to keep up with posting (and replying to comments when it gets to that point). My hope is that this can be a place for others to discuss the music they love and possibly a way to introduce readers to new artists.

Wish me luck!