Vanessa Carlton - Harmonium
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Free Music Notes for Harmonium
Free Music Review: Immeasurably Superior To Her Debut
Hit: 5 Stars
Brilliant. Alarming. Majestic. Bewitching. Gothic. Melancholy. Cryptic. These words and countless more describe Vanessa Carlton's sophomore album "Harmonium." Immeasurably superior in quality to her 2002 debut "Be Not Nobody," the singer/songwriter displays on her new LP the kind of artistic growth that seldom transpires between a mere two albums. Although female singers who play piano have not exactly been burning up the pop charts as of late, Carlton takes absolutely no notice of this. The result is an album she will doubtless find difficult to top.
Taking off on the strength of its lead single "White Houses," an absolutely outstanding opus about the bittersweet beauty of young love, it is easy to see the album is a worthy purchase if only for one song. The following "Who's To Say," however, completely nips that prospect in the bud with its killer chorus, pensive lyrics sung with full-blast urgency and exemplary piano playing that Carlton provides throughout the entirety of the disc.
Although the album is overall too heady and thought-provoking to find any of its songs in the Top 40, the song with the best chance of getting there is the fervid, rapturous "Private Radio," which gets sticky in the head like gum on a bleacher.
(I'm finally out of my pillow/'Cause I'm lyin' here, but I am ready good to go/If I don't win I'll leave this town/Or not I'll stay and chase the sun now/And you can't deny me/And you will oblige/It's my melody.)
The eerie, stream-of-conscious "Half A Week Before The Winter" concerns vampires and unicorns and exudes an air of a twisted state of grace.
(All the weight of empty promise/As I stand swallowed by the light/Flickering above the highway/I hold my head and know the streets are mine tonight.)
"C'est La Vie" and "San Francisco" contain gorgeous melodies, but even better is that of the hook of the impassioned, reflective "Afterglow."
(And if you could see/What's come over me/Then you would know/'Cause I'm walkin' free/The wind at my back/Bathed in afterglow.)
The final listed track is "She Floats," a tale of a dead woman's corpse who is "watching puddles gather rain" which features a sudden uprising of high-pitched female screams. A hidden track where she waxes on her odd fantasy of crashing her car, "The Wreckage," rounds out the disc.
Featuring pitch-perfect production from Third Eye Blind's Stephan Jenkins, Carlton's lucky boyfriend, in addition to guitar playing throughout by Fleetwood Mac's legendary Lindsey Buckingham, "Harmonium" is a sweeping collection of music that lovers of enchanting melodies and thought-provoking lyrics can devour. Without a doubt, there is more to Carlton than "A Thousand Miles."
Free Music Review: AWESOME!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
I have been a fan of Vanessa Carlton ever since her first album came out. I thought she was very talented at the piano and vocally. All her songs were different from music that was out at the time, it sounded more haunting and less pop.
This time around, it gets even better. I LOVE this album. Every song on it is great, I don't skip any. I love how all the instruments and her voice make the songs sound gothic and interesting, unlike a lot of the songs out now. Heres a song by song review:
1. White Houses - amazing first single. The way she writes this song is so honest and the piano is played really well. I first heard this song expecting a lot because I couldn't wait for her new album and I was blown away. I couldn't stop listening to it! Also, the video is really cool and shows she hasn't lost her talent for dancing. 5/5
2.Who's To Say - this might be my favorite song of all of them. She puts a lot of emotion into this song despite what other reviewers have said. her voice also sounds really strong. 5/5
3. Annie- this song is really sad but it also shows her talent for songwriting. 4/5
4. San Fransisco - I love this song because it has a really cool melody, and I really like the chorus. 5/5
5.Afterglow-this is more of a slow song, but its still really pretty. 3/5
6. Private Radio - this song is very catchy, but i disagree with reviewers who say this is the next 1000 miles. this is more edgy, and less poppy than that song, but its great all the same. the ending is also cool. 5/5
7. Half A Week Before the Winter - i think the way she talks about unicorns and vampires is interesting and different, and i like this song. its sad tho, the way she suggests the vampires attacked the unicorns, or at least thats what I got from the song. 4/5
8. Cest La Vie - this song is another good song. the chorus is the best part and i like the way the piano and vocals sound on this song. 4/5
9. Papa - the piano is amazing in this song. i like the way she says he is a genuine wannabe and the way the piano is played in the chorus. 5/5
10. She Floats- this is an ok song, but i like the lyrics. 3/5
11. the wreckage - this song is good, the melody and piano is awesome as usual, and the lyrics are interesting and kind of sad at the same time. 4/5
All in all, you HAVE to get this CD. I LOVE all the songs, i can't stop listening to this! All the songs have amazing songwriting and piano, and her vocals sound stronger too. She should win a Grammy!!
Free Music Review: Vanessa Carlton Somehow Always Lures You into...
Hit: 5 Stars
the magnifigance of each of her CD's. My first listen to "Be Not Nobody" gave me a very negative look at Vanessa Carlton, cuz I thought her songs were all very bland and pointless. The more you listen to it, the more you like it though. "Harmonium" is not like Be not Nobody, because the first time you listen to it, you'll fall in love with each of the songs. This CD has not been out of my CD player for the last 2 weeks. Each song has its own beauty and rhythm.
"White Houses" which everyone knows is the 1st single of the CD is very catchy and pretty. I've got "Jenny screams out and it's no pose" stuck in my head everyday! "Who's to Say" is definetely one of my favorites. It's really pretty and when it hits the 2 minute mark, I'm hypnotized into its melody. "Annie" is also one of my favorites. There's nothing really special about this song... well except that it shows Vanessa's great piano skills and a voice she's never shown before.
"San Francisco" is a very strange song. It's one of those songs that are upbeat and cool, yet it still manages to pull a few tears out of your eyes, for some awkward reason although it's not a sad song. "Afterglow" is really boring. It's definetely one that I skip everytime. "Private Radio" is probably the most upbeat song that it's gonna get on this CD which is really good. It blends with the songs quite well, and has a tune that's gonna be stuck into your head the whole day.
"Half a Week Before Winter" gets better and better after each play. It's a strange song though. Whenever I hear it, I get chills down my back. "C'est La Vie" is probably the best song on this superb CD. It has a jazzish rhythm to it and a beat that makes you tap your feet without you even knowing it. "Papa" is probably the most boring song on this CD. I've heard this song once since I've got this CD and I almost fell to sleep... okay I'm exaggerating.
"She Floats" is a creepy song but it manages to make you like it. It's one of Vanessa's creepy songs. It's a good song overall, yet it is very long. "The Wreckage" is a good song too. It's fairly slow but has an awesome tune.
My final comment is that if you've been a "nessaholic" yet you've been sort of undecided if this is gonna be a good CD or not (which is fairly strange), it is a great CD and go out and buy a copy. This CD debuted only at #33 on the Billboard top 200 which is really disappointing. C'mon guys, we gotta bump her up to the top 10!
Free Music Review: VC rocks
Hit: 5 Stars
An excellent work. You can definetly tell that some of the songs were written to attempt a hit on mainstream radio, which is alright, but a lot of the songs get very pop-ish and contrast deeply from her first album. If you're looking for some more "a thousand miles", it is going to please you more than "be not nobody" did. The songs are still very spiritual,
1. white houses- a great song...the lyrics are the most meaningful and easy to relate to for younger listeners..and the lindsey buckingham aspect rocks
2. who's to say- the most pop-ish song on the album...i have to say im a little disappointed. these lyrics are more immature than usual- i blame stephan jenkins :)
3. annie- i really like this one.it's one of those songs where the verses are a whole lot catchier than the chorus.it's darker than many of her songs but very meaningful, telling the story about a dying girl.
4. back in san francisco- this song seems to be written about...a good feeling. i like it, the lyrics aren't the deepest in this one either
5. Afterglow- so pretty....i love all of the strings and orchestra arrangements
6. Private Radio- hmmm...kind of a bad girl song. this one also disappointed me a little. it was originally intended to be the original first release....im glad she decided on white houses instead.
7. Half a week before the winter- hmm dark...and confusing. not one of my favorites, but good..and artistic
8. C'est La Vie- i LOVE this song! im not too sure about the arrangement on the album....the bass-y dance beat thing is kind of growing on me though. The piano version is IRRESISTABLE..
9.Papa- it's hard to pick out a definite melody at first...it grows on you though. i love it though because it reminds me of most songs from "be not nobody"
10. She Floats- dark!....its good for one of those times when you just sitting around frusterated and thinking
11. im not sure what this is called because it's not listed. i like it...it's very "be not nobody- esque" again
vanessa carlton is vanessa carlton...this is definetly a sweet album.
Free Music Review: Vanessa Reaches the Stars
Hit: 5 Stars
As most all have said I don't think I've ever seen such growth between a debut and sophomore album for an artist. It's like it's a completely different album. I am a huge Carlton fan and rushed out to buy the album after I heard "A Thousand Miles" for the first time. I've been hooked ever since. "Be Not Nobody" was a good album, but in all honestly there were some songs on there I really didn't like. On "Harmonium" I can't say that. All the songs are beautiful. They're well orchestrated, well-written, and hauntingly sung by Vanessa. I'm a little perturbed by those putting down her voice. I, personally, think it's one of the most beautifully unique voices out there right now in the market of Hilary Duff pop. (REALLY don't like her...) I really respect her writing her own songs, playing the piano in them, AND singing them. I think the best artists are the ones that write their own material. (Although there are, of course, exceptions to that rule on both sides.) This album is fabulous. You can sit through the whole thing and not get bored because there are so many different beats whereas on her last, my friends complained that all her songs sounded the same. Personal favorites on this one are:
White Houses
C'est La Vie
Who's To Say
San Francisco
Annie
The one song that kind of confuses me is "Half a Week Before Winter". I honestly don't quite grasp the lyrics. Still a good one though.
The only thing that's sad is that I don't think this will sell nearly as many copies as "Be Not Nobody" because these are the kind of songs that aren't really meant to be radio hits. "White Houses" has been vaguely recognized as an infectious song but a song about a dying girl is unlikely to get big TRL play. I just hope that any singles Vanessa releases are more well picked. I'd say that of the songs "White Houses" and "Who's to Say" would have the most luck on the airwaves.
If you liked "Be Not Nobody" pick this album up. If you DIDN'T like "Be Not Nobody", pick this album up. Everyone finds some songs they like. Pop this classy album into your CD player and I gurantee you won't regret it. (I'm uploading mine into my iPod tomorrow! Yay! ^_^;;)