Vanessa Carlton Album: “Heroes & Thieves”

Vanessa Carlton returns with her third studio album, stirring up the music world with her pop ballads. Heroes And Thieves is in large comparison with its predecessor, and basically is an extension of tracks to Harmonium. Carlton's composition and performance are very much the same between the two albums revealing that she has more then likely discovered her signature sound. That's a great accomplishment, especially for a pianist her age. Pieces from this album are artisticlly driven by melodic vocals, and harmonic backing by guitars, bass, back up vocals, and crafted string sections. Percussion was carefully selected to blend majesticlly into a song, and create an end product which will leave fans in awe. Progressions are simple, but are so perfectly perfromed they are purely pleasing to one's ear. Dynamics are in full, bringing forth the clarity and distinctiveness to musical lines and chords. Joining Carlton on the track "The One" is none other than Stevie Nicks, and the two make an interesting pair of performers. It leaves a listener to hope for more collaboration with other artists on future albums and show tours. Once again, Vanessa worked with Third Eye Blind's Stephin Jenkins making it clear that the duo end up creating amazing music. After a hearing of Heroes And Thieves; fans will be left with their fingers crossed, hoping Vanessa Carlton lands another record deal to create even more albums.

Stand out tracks:

"Hands On Me"

"Come Undone"

"Heores And Thieves"

"Feels Like Me"

"Home"

Vanessa Carlton

Heroes & Thieves

(The Inc)

US release date: 9 October 2007

UK release date: 22 October 2007

by Tony Sclafani

Every reviewer approaches a given artist's work with some degree of bias. So, I'll admit upfront I am biased in favor of singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton and was predisposed to liking her newest CD, Heroes & Thieves.

How predisposed was I? Well, when her previous CD, Harmonium, came out in 2002, I became so obsessed with the single "White Houses" I played it non-stop for days. No, wait, make that weeks. OK, OK, I obsessed over this song for months. I converted the MP3 into a wave file and did some of my own edits. I spent so much time thinking about the song's story (teenage girl loses her virginity and looks back in regret) that I used to dream the song. Why was the song's male character wearing a red shirt? Was that a foreshadowing of the blood Carlton references on the bridge? And why did this song remind me of the obscure 1980 tune "Straight Lines" by the UK band New Music? Was it something in the melody? Or did it tap into a similar lyrical theme about displacement in society? And why was a guy in his 30s (me) this moved by a song about a circumstance (and gender) from which I'm very removed?

Eventually, I was hospitalized and they gave me little yellow pills to obliterate the "White Houses" in my head. OK, I'm kidding about that part. But I really did get committed--committed to the concept of Vanessa Carlton as a brilliant singer-songwriter who, I believe, was unfairly marginalized as a teen-pop singer because her first hit, "A Thousand Miles", connected with the post-Britney crowd. They may have, like, so outgrown Carlton in no time, but Carlton, then 22, was just starting to grow as a musician.

Heroes & Thieves is filled with more melodies from the classically-trained pianist who is now 27. There was concern amongst fans (who call themselves "`Nessaholics") that this release would be an embarrassingly commercial bid for big-time success, since Carlton had signed to Irv Gotti's hip hop-oriented The Inc label after parting with her previous label, A&M, when "Harmonium" didn't sell as well as expected. Carlton, though, stayed true to her muse. She didn't dump the lyrical approach and start singing about being "Promiscuous" or some such thing. In fact, she's more like herself now than she ever was before (to loosely paraphrase an old saying).

The 11-song effort is pure `Nessa, down to the tinkling piano hooks, the confessional lyrics and the high-pitched vocals. As that might suggest, Carlton is one of the many disciples of the style Tori Amos pioneered (via Kate Bush and Laura Nyro). While Carlton doesn't have Amos' flair for innovation and rule-breaking, her more conventional style has its rewards because her songs are just so damned melodic, you can't stop humming them.

The CD opener (and debut single) "Nolita Fairytale" layers an off-kilter melody over an insistent beat. Its title may be all but inscrutable to everyone but New Yorkers since it refers to a little-known section of Manhattan (where Carlton now lives). And the lyrics are so personal they read like lines from a diary: "I lose my way searching for stage lights; but Stevie knows and I thank her so". The "Stevie" in question is Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks who helped sequence the CD and sings on the ballad "The One", which is a wistful look back at a long lost college flame (lots of Carlton songs are wistful looks back; it's part of her charm).

The best number here is arguably "Spring Street", a tale of a daughter breaking away from her mother and starting a new life. The semi-autobiographical lyrics offer lots of philosophical food for thought, but it's the chorus that really says something. It goes: "Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah." I mean that seriously; the wordless chorus really does galvanize the emotion of the tune with its sing-along catchiness. "The One" was co-written with hitmaking producer Linda Perry (Pink, Christina Aguliera), as was "This Time", a power ballad that has insomniac Carlton lying in bed regretting a failed love affair.

That affair is most likely the one Carlton had with Third Eye Blind front man Stephan Jenkins who co-wrote several songs and also serves as producer. The two musicians ended their relationship midway through the project, and that colored the tone of much of Heroes & Thieves, Carlton has said. Thus, in a love song like "Hands on Me", it's hard to listen and not wonder "Hm. Was Jenkins the guy she met at the video exchange? Or is that some new guy? And wouldn't someone with her level of fame want to get Netflix"? But the beauty of this music is that it's not just a bunch of tunes ground out to serve as the basis for lyrical conceits. Carlton's songs ring with the authority of classic pop, and in that sense she's probably more of a throwback to Carole King than Amos (although Carlton was born almost a decade after King's "Tapestry" was released).

Heroes & Thieves isn't a perfect album and sometimes gets too idiosyncratic and precious for its own good. It's already spawned its share of detractors, specifically reviewers who question whether Carlton has the vocal goods to pull off some of the more complicated numbers. I think her imperfect singing keeps her sounding human and give her props for not messing with a pitch correction program. And if you feel the same, well, maybe you too should start thinking you might have a problem with `Nessa addiction. See you at the next `Nessaholics meeting.

From Pop Matters -- 21 December 2007

"this is the best batch of songs I've ever written"-Vanessa Carlton

no truer word, however the "best batch" doesn't make the "best album" because unfortunately the songs have to get "selected" (which is something I still don't get, if you write something why won't you release it at least in some forms?), and as usual Carlton's album is only 11 tracks which, as usual, left out some of the best songs she has ever written, such as Best Behavior (the quirky pretty song) and All Is Well(the dark, melancholy huntingly beautiful song), the album just doesn't feel whole to me without these two.

that said, I've always enjoyed Carlton's more dark, melancholy songs, for me her voice is just so expressive of them, such as Paradise, All I Ask (another fantastic song that was never released), and Half A Week Before Winter etc. But this album chose all the radio-friendly songs that, even though the tunes are clearly very sophisticated, made it sound younger than her other albums, especially the last song More Than This that constantly reminds me of children's song such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Also, some of the best songs are over mixed for the album, especially Put Your Hands On Me that give one a feeling of 80s music, usually the chorus of Carlton's songs are her voice, but Put Your Hands On Me's last chorus is obviously a choir's, which is what made it sound like old music in which there is a choir needed for back-up vocal, I think it would've sounded better if the choir is just Carlton's voice.

That said, lot's of good and improvements are still very appearant in this album. The lyrics are very connective and well-related to people of her generation, she focused mainly on just love songs instead of overrated "hater songs" we get so many these days. Her favorite song Home is definitely my favorite too, and she truly grew in terms of vocal, and you can hear in her songs she constantly chanllenges herself with high notes. I would have to say the best vocal is probably Spring Street, in which you can truly hear the maturity in her voice and how much she has grown. Unlike most people, I'm ambivalent about Stevie Nick's tribute to The One, I get they are trying to make contrast but whether the contrast actually worked or not I still need a few more listen to at least get use to it, but then again maybe it's because I don't really like Nick's voice, I have no doubt she's a great artist but her voice is slightly too mature for me.

But undoubtly this album is arguably her best, will satisfy many fans (especially the ones who enjoy the "lighter" aspect of her), and it's still overall very great and deserve at least 4 starts. For being her fan, I'll give it five and suck up all my complains :) though I do wish she will eventually release all the songs she wrote.

Before listening to Heroes & Thieves I've gotten full doses of Be Not Nobody and Harmonium. I love her music, and with every lyric, song, and album Carlton puts out, it almost always has a different flavor, even if it's a subtle one. In Heroes & Thieves, I think Carlton's put out her best yet. She's come a long way from "A Thousand Miles" and has progressed tremendously in her sound.

Be Not Nobody and Harmonium are incomparable in terms of sound and lyric to Carlton's latest. Heroes & Thieves just sounds good-even the longer, more drawn out songs like "Home" and "Come Undone." My favorites are "Hands on Me," "Spring Street," "My Best," and "The One (which features the amazing Stevie Nicks!)." Be Not Nobody had a greater "pop" vibe out of her three albums (in my opinion). Harmonium definitely had much deeper and lush songs, including "Afterglow" and "San Francisco," but still had Carlton's signature piano base. Simply put, Heroes & Thieves blows her other two albums out of the water! They were great albums, mind you, but neither compare of H & T.

Every song of H & T paints a different picture, from summer love, to coming-of-age, to self realization. This album has a great mix of songs. Great melodies, lyrics, and moods circulate all throughout this album.

I can honestly say (not just because I'm a fan of Vanessa Carlton) that this is one of the best albums I've listened to. Carlton's longtime fans won't be disappointed, and new listeners will get a taste of Carlton's finest. Enjoy!

I waited a long time for this album--fellow fans will know Nessa's story (she lost her record deal after Harmonium failed; the lyrics in Nolita Fairytale hold many hidden truths).

The fault with Harmonium was that too many of its tracks were dark and unaccessible, it was overall too "gothic" an album. Heroes and Thieves, however, has more of a light, pop feel, while still keeping Nessa's trademark emotion and spontaneity. My favorite tracks here are 'Nolita Fairytale', 'My Best', 'The One', 'Heroes and Thieves', and 'Fools Like Me'.

I hope that this album is successful. Vanessa Carlton is my favorite artist, and I want her to be recording for years to come. Her honesty, inisghtful lyrics, and fresh piano-infused tracks all contribute to her uniqueness.