Vanessa Carlton
Rabbits on the Run
(Razor & Tie)

You might remember Vanessa Carlton from her popular track “A Thousand Miles” off of her 2002 album, Be Not Nobody. Since then, future releases haven’t gained the artist much attention. Harmonium from 2004 and Heroes & Thieves from 2007 were released without much attention or fanfare. Rabbit on the Run though deserves more attention than those releases have gotten. Ominous, mature and simple, the album proves a female voice over a piano can create gorgeous music.

The album’s lead single, “Carousel,” is a fun, vibrant little ditty we can all relate to about how “love comes back around again/it’s a carousel, my friend.” Love lost can hurt but don’t worry, things will always work out in the end. The message is sweet and carries over the simple song. Perhaps the most ominous track on the album is “I Don’t Want to Be a Bride.” The track is monotone and perhaps too slow. But the lyrics behind the track speak volumes. Carlton drones on that she doesn’t “Wanna be a bride/Apologies to your mother/I wanna be your girl/And spend this life with you.” The album is perfect at one thing: creating snippets of lyrics perfect as nuggets for thought.

While this might not be the strongest release of the year, there is something special about this album that deserves attention. This darker pop sound shows Carlton at her best with the strongest lyrics of her career. Let the rabbit run – but be sure to catch it when you pick this album up.