New tour features music from newest release, ‘Nothing Rhymes with Woman’
Carbon Leaf and Great Big Sea
Where: Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts, Filene Center, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Info: $25 to $32; wolftrap.org
It’s likely true that “Nothing Rhymes with Woman,” as the title of the latest CD by Richmond, Va.-based Carbon Leaf says, but with music like this, who cares?
The point, of course, is that while baby popsters may have to resort to cute rhyming lyrics to keep fans engaged, Carbon Leaf is as far removed from that genre as possible without becoming Bob Dylan’s “Blonde on Blonde.”
“It’s great, especially with these outdoor shows,” said lead singer Barry Privett. “We’re really happy [with the album], and the fan response has been great. We hadn’t written songs like ‘Cinnamindy’ before. It still sounds like us, though.”
Carbon Leaf made its name and gained its following by releasing songs that with intelligent, emotionally rich lyrics wrapped in a compelling rock sound with plenty of folk/celtic/country influences. If anything this album advances the band’s sound while showing it can mix up genres and still not lose its musical footing.
Consider “Cinnamindy,” which Privett mentioned. That song takes off with just the right flair of strumming strings and carries the listener along on the story of a woman fighting to survive.
But Carbon Leaf is no one-trick musical pony. For evidence listen to the almost-rocking-with-Celtic-sounds “Pink,” which will remind fans of some of the band’s earlier music.
Ballads, folk, rock — yes the sounds are scattered throughout the album with Privett’s confident, comfortable vocals binding them. Think something akin to The Zac Brown Band meets REM and you’ll have the right idea.
This album was born after the band spent a year regrouping after almost non-stop touring since the 2004 release of its major label debut “Indian Summer.” Now fully focused on the tour in support of this album, Privett said the band is working hard to introduce its fans to the new sound while bringing other music-lovers on board.
“In this tour, we’re always trying to give fans something a little different,” said Privett noting a few arrangement and set list changes. “We’re mixing it up, making sure we are concentrating on the new album but throwing in new stuff every night … We just want to make each one a great show.”
With “Nothing Rhymes with Woman” as the core, it might be difficult to go wrong.
