It was inevitable that some young, emotionally mature female singer/songwriter would swoop down and scavenge Britney’s leftovers. With her sparkling debut, Be Not Nobody, Vanessa Carlton is just that girl. The title of her album may sound like Alanis-speak but that’s where the similarities between the straightforward Carlton and the oft-verbose Canadian end. Her music does, however, call to mind a few of Morissette’s contemporaries. Though she dismisses such comparisons, the 21-year-old’s got the jazzy, brooding swagger of Fiona Apple ("Paradise") and the rock-rebel-reared-on-Ravel of Tori Amos ("Prince"). But Be Not Nobody is strung with the kind of youthful sincerity that forgives what could potentially be career-damaging parallels.
Carlton is more like the girls we went to high school with than, say, Christina Aguilera. But I guess that’s the point, right? She’s earnest, open and real. Songs like "Sway" and "Pretty Baby" are everything the content-minded Mandy Moore strives for: "Pretty baby, don’t you leave me/I’ve been saving smiles for you." Carlton’s lyrics aren’t "beyond her years" but, rather, right on time. "If only I could get into that corner of your head/Where things finally match and meet the standards that you set," she sings on the edgy "Unsung." The album’s instant first hit, "A Thousand Miles," displays Carlton’s deft piano skills and ear for pop melody. The track is crisp and immediate; it’s the kind of bright pop song (a la Natalie Imbruglia’s "Torn") that cuts through the rock muck.
Carlton’s classical training surfaces throughout the album on ballads like "Rinse" and "Wanted," but where her piano soars, her voice hesitates. Carlton’s limitations are apparent and she rarely reaches the sonic heights of predecessors like Amos. Yes, the pop tides are changing, but the Nu Wave is significantly less potent than one might have hoped (Alt-Country, adult-skewed pop, album-oriented rock and jazz). Yet, when compared with Britney’s "(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction," just one listen to Carlton’s cover of the Rolling Stones’ "Paint It Black" speaks volumes. Artists like Carlton may be a rebound but at leas it’s a refreshing one.
Sal Cinquemani,Music Today
I admit it – I still think she sounds like Michelle Branch but after watching the video for ”Ordinary Day” and being quite impressed with the lyrics and that the video wasn’t full of sexual innuendo (which I don’t necessarily hate) and butt-naked dancers (which I do hate) – Carlton sold herself to me. I went out that same day and bought her debut album ”Be Not Nobody”.
Even after having listened to the album a great number of times, I still believe that “Ordinary Day” is the best song on the album and I’m shocked that it wasn’t chosen over “A Thousand Miles” as the first single. “Ordinary Day” tells the tale of meeting a boy who takes you on a journey only to realize – it was all a dream. Of course, Carlton puts it much more eloquently than that and that’s probably what is most impressive about her. That at the tender age of 22, she has not only wrote all but one of the songs on her album but she got to claim executive producer credits too – that’s amazing from any angle you look at it. Of course writing your own songs is amazing in and of itself, but that doesn’t always equate with being a phenomenon, you have to have talent too and luckily Carlton does.
”Pretty Baby” is a sweet song that shows Carlton’s youth in its writing: ”Pretty baby don’t you leave me/ I have been saving smiles for you/ Pretty baby why can’t you see/ You’re the one that I belong to”. It has an almost child-like feel to it but it is one of the better tracks. One of the more interesting things that I find about Carlton is that I think there are a number of ways that they could have pushed her in marketing. Had the record company chose to release ”Rinse” as the first single, she would be known as a different kind of performer. “Rinse” of all the tracks, reminds me of Tori Amos with the grittiness and the fluctuations and growls in vocals – and most importantly, in the piano playing. “Rinse” is a great song, excellent even – but image is everything and painting Carlton as a radical feminist is probably not the persona they were looking for. I’ll be the first to say that the first two singles are completely misleading and not really representative of what can be found on ”Be Not Nobody” and of the person I feel Carlton really is.
”Paradise” has the same darkness of “Rinse” and then it dawns on you that listening to this album you can almost hear Carlton grow up. The album matures with each song and the tone changes from sweet and tender to mature and polished. “Paradise” features a delicious break in music that seeks to bring you to your knees, its just that good. For those of you who like to rock out there’s a great cover of the Rolling Stones ”Paint It Black”. It’s sexy, it has an edge and it’s good. There are a lot of gems on BNN – lots of little things that are satisfying and interesting. Pay attention the piano when it’s not really the focus and you’ll be amazed. Read along with the lyrics while you listen – she’s a smart woman.
The success of “A Thousand Miles” undoubtedly pushed Carlton through the stratosphere and drew her comparisons with other musicians like Alicia Keys, Tori Amos and even Fiona Apple. While the comparisons are a bit gracious – Carlton does have an obvious likeability and impeccable timing. We’re approaching a time where it really sucks to be Britney Spears so anything that is unlike what she is – automatically stands out. Dubbed “The Anti-Britney’s” – the new breed of girl singers who write their own songs and play instruments are the new hot thing and in all likelihood we will grow tired of them and break them down á la Britney in due time – but in the meanwhile, the anti’s are impressive and doing their own thing.
Val Edwins,Keys Magazine
