New Carbon Leaf CD ‘Nothing Rhymes With Woman’ Out Now!

I’m going to give the band Carbon Leaf the first official review for the site, as they are not only a great band but also a great group of guys.

Their sound has been described as a mix of alt-country, folk rock, and celtic rock. An interesting mix to say the least, but one that works out really well for them. I think a good comparison of their music would be to compare Carbon Leaf to the Counting Crows – which is by no means a bad thing.

For me, there are no tracks on this CD that stand out as un-listenable. “Another Man’s Woman” has been a staple in their live shows for almost two years now – which should say enough about the quality of the song – so it’s nice to finally see it on an album. “Cinnamindy” definitely has the most country feel of any song. So much so that if Chris Cagle came out and sang it in concert it wouldn’t seem out of place. “What Have You Learned?” was introduced in their concert Sunday night with the preface ‘This is a song about screwing up relationships.’ However, the song is not focused on negativity, rather it also hits on some of the good things that can come from learning things the hard way.

Throughout the album, there is an even distribution between songs that are lighthearted and fun, such as “Miss Hollywood”, and songs that are more introspective and/or serious, such as “Pink” or “Indecision.”

As of right now, my favorite song is by far “Lake of Silver Bells.” The song builds up slowly and then spirals into a beautiful chorus. This song will be stuck in your head for days. If I had done my homework and listened to the new CD before the concert I would have definitely shouted it out to Barry Privett (the lead singer) as a suggestion for their encore.

Their older releases are just as strong as this new one. The song “What About Everything?”, possibly the catchiest in their catalog (and also maybe the best), can be found on the CD Indian Summer. No matter what album you choose to pick up, you won’t be disappointed. If you are into more mellow music, start with Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat. If you are a bigger fan of their rock sound, pick up Nothing Rhymes With Woman. And if you become as obsessed with “Lake of Silver Bells” as I have, you should also pick up Echo Echo, as this would fit right in on that disc.

If you like what you hear on CD, you MUST see these guys live. Their live shows are very personal and they always come around and interact with the fans afterward. Not to mention they put on a hell of a show. There are plenty of live videos up on YouTube to validate that claim. Next time they come in town I promised all my friends that I will be dragging them along – like it or not.

As with all the other bands featured on the site, please support these guys – if not through the purchase of a CD, at least by going to see them in concert.

Buy their songs/albums here through the iTunes store:

Echo Echo (2001)

Indian Summer (2004)

Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat (2006)

Nothing Rhymes With Woman (2009)

Or, if you prefer to shop at Amazon, check out their discography in CD and MP3 format: Carbon Leaf

Check out the first single from Nothing Rhymes With Woman, “Miss Hollywood”, here:

In case YouTube removes the video, you can also listen to it stream on Carbon Leaf’s website

5/24/2009