Singer and pianist Vanessa Carlton scored a hit in 2002 with A Thousand Miles and the debut album Be Not Nobody. After a modest guest appearance on Counting Crows' hit Big Yellow Taxi, things got quiet around her. Carlton can definitely establish her name with her second album Harmonium. The dreamy flower girl of yesteryear has matured musically through all the experiences in the music business.
While some of the songs from her debut had suffered from excessive production, on the follow-up a better balance has been found between Carlson's piano and the 'musical landscape' as she describes it herself. It explains the title right away. A harmonium is an old instrument that combines the action of a piano with the sound of the flute. Her music also evokes such a timeless feeling. But Carlton makes the most impression when she accompanies herself on her piano, such as on the moving Papa and the bonus track The Wreckage: the two highlights of the record. This classically trained pianist is allowed to play 'unplugged' in this way. (MS)more
