Vanessa Carlton
Love Is An Art
Dine Alone Records
Listen Below
There was a moment—as the late 1990s gave way to the early 2000s—when the Venusian singer-songwriter model (as retooled by Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Sarah McLachlan, et alia) was seemingly doomed to be consigned to the annals of a receding decade. But, much like the women that rose up in the 1990s to transform the tradition of lyrically driven pop that preceded them, a new crop of talent rushed into the (supposed) void at the outset of the 2000s—Vanessa Carlton was one of those fresh faces.
Debuting on the A&M label, Carlton’s Be Not Nobody (2002) was an affable mix of crisp, vocal-piano sonics—as written and played by Carlton herself; the LP went on to platinum acclaim and was primarily buoyed by its lead single “A Thousand Miles.” Almost overnight, Carlton was caged by the triumph of the single and the record; requisite label demands to issue a repeat performance soon followed.
Instead, Carlton attempted to forge a compromise between the commercial expectations of A&M Records and her own artistic appetites with her sophomore set, Harmonium (2004). Literate and emotive, Harmonium was a big step forward. However, solid notices aside, A&M put none of its promotional muscle behind the project that they had for Carlton’s first LP; its tepid sales preceded the unavoidable split between Carlton and the imprint.
For some, her story might have ended there—but, the truth is far more gripping than that fiction.
Carlton continued to tool and tinker at the esoteric vibes hinted at on Harmonium with both Heroes & Thieves (2007) and Rabbits on the Run (2011). Her transition from major label player to indie label darling ran in tandem with these releases. When Carlton unveiled her fifth album Liberman in 2015, a rich, nebulous assemblage of alternative chamber pop delivered in sirenic style, the song cycle garnered uniform praise from critics and vindicated her longtime followers.
Love Is An Art—Carlton’s sixth long player and second to be hosted on Dine Alone Records—builds off the sonic excellence of Liberman. For this outing, decorated producer and Mercury Rev co-founder Dave Fridmann is recruited by Carlton to steer the album and is an outstanding choice to succeed Steve Osborne and Adam Landry’s production turns on Liberman.
Fridmann’s touch is noticeable throughout Love Is An Art; he does not do away with the lush, orchestral textures that comprise Liberman, instead he fuses that sound with a bit of band-oriented muscle—brawny drumming, detailed synth work, pronounced bass and guitar arrangements. Fridmman’s method punches up the verve of “I Can’t Stay the Same,” a sharp manifesto of Carlton’s continued exploration of her own musical identity that also acts as the gorgeous opening number for Love Is An Art.
Eleven songs constitute the record and they all cohere into a beautiful whole, at the same time, each selection is unique and capable of standing on its own. This is owed to Carlton who anchors the compositions as a lyricist and a pianist. Regarding the former aspect, Carlton visits topics that are never out of fashion: life (“Future Pain”), love (“Miner’s Canary”) and politics (“Die, Dinosaur”). But, when she brings these subjects to bear, they possess both fantastical and grounded qualities—return visits are to be expected with this material.
As for the latter element—Carlton’s way with her instrument of choice—she is as intense as she’s ever been; “Companion Star” and “I Know You Don’t Mean It” are highlights among a pack of already impressive heavy hitters. And with Fridmann ensuring that Carlton stays central to everything here, none of the intricacies of her technique get lost in the roiling symphonica of Love Is An Art.
Six recordings deep into her career, Love Is An Art has Carlton occupying her most precise and powerful incarnation yet. While one cannot be sure what is next for her, what is clear here is that Carlton is a woman woken to her potential and purpose as an artist—that will continue to be her guiding creative principle, much to our listening pleasure.
Notable Tracks: “Companion Star” | “Die, Dinosaur” | “Miner’s Canary” | “I Can’t Stay the Same”
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