Carbon Leaf has been around for a virtual eternity when it comes to a band scene that has an act form, get big within two years, and broken up before four. This Virginia band has been around since 1992, and they have just released their sixth full-length album with “Nothing Rhymes With Womanâ€. This album begins with “Indecisionâ€, a track that encompasses in the course of four minutes where the band looks to take their fanbase (And anyone else that is lucky enough to have picked up the album). “Miss Hollywood†is one of the disc’s first singles.
Where the style of music that Carbon Leaf plays is something that draws heavily on a nineties bit of alternative and college rock, there is more than enough energy present in the instrumental arrangements to show current listeners that they still have their chops. “Lake of Silver Bells†removes much of this earlier flair, replacing it with an indie sheen that will make it easy for the band to find the favor of Pitchfork or MTV’s Subterreanean. The guitar/vocal dynamic that is created here is only bettered when an emotive and moody bass line enters into the equation. “Another Man’s Woman†has more than a fair share of alt-country placed inside it; Carbon Leaf is able to create an infectious chorus that will keep listeners singing along, no matter whether they like the genre or the band in the slightest.
This is the allure of Carbon Leaf; they speak to so many different sounds and styles that listeners cannot do anything but dig them. “Drops of Rain†is another track that all should check out. The band goes back to their tried and true college-rock sound for the track, but there is an instrumental richness to the track that is rare to hear in current music. If the tracks on “Nothing Rhymes With Woman†sound as they would be up your alley, check them out on their ongoing tour (which runs through August 21st).
Top Tracks: Indecision, Miss Hollywood
Rating: 8.3/10