Vanessa Carlton
Rabbits On The Run

There are certain artists who, clinging too much to an easy success, perhaps driven by a first, famous debut, try badly to hang onto the crest of the wave, not changing their style too much, remaining, for better or worse, always the same character from their debut.

This happened to Carlton, who, under the patronage of A&M, a decade ago (that’s how you realize you’ve aged) released one of the major hits of the recently ended decade, "A Thousand Miles". In the face of such a windfall of money, the record label couldn't believe it had struck gold with the character: a twenty-two-year-old pianist, with a bright and sparkling voice, who, once she laid her hands on her instrument, churned out moments of pure pop for the masses, yet with such an indie air. Listening to Carlton became, therefore, cool. It was, yes, pop, the kind made with cotton candy and artificial coloring, but without you being able to suspect it even a little in front of her somewhat bohemian character.

Thus, after a nearly indecent album like her debut "Be Not Nobody", "Harmonium" was released, following the same train of thought, but without being able to please the masses like the first chapter. And there was, indeed, something wrong with those records. There was something fake, something constructed on the drawing board. It was as if Carlton, apart from in very rare moments, was forced to bow her head and shape something entirely fake, directed only at the commercial populace devoid of great expectations. Like a bird in a cage, wanting to fly away, yet obliged to suppress its instincts, trapped in a cage too tight for it.

The same fate befell the following "Heroes And Thieves", despite the change of labels. It was as if changing "homes" to INC Records (the transition to the label famous for mostly hip-hop artists was inexplicable) was pointless. By then, Carlton was pigeonholed by producers and the audience, and from the recordings, everyone expected a specific type of product.

And so we arrive at "Rabbits On The Run", the fourth effort from the singer-songwriter.

Let’s put it this way: she could have titled it "liberation". I would start by saying that this is, without a doubt, the singer's best album; and everyone will respond, "well, after the junk she produced in the past, it didn’t take much". But no: first of all, not all of today's young pop stars, for the love of their art, would have left, for the second time, a record label, to compose and record a new album entirely on their own. Exactly, because the album is, for the first time, written entirely by Carlton alone (with the incursion of her friend Ari Ingber in two tracks), as well as independently recorded, then presented, once finished, to the small Razor & Tie Inc.

And that’s how we finally discover who Vanessa Carlton is. She is a storyteller, a mysterious woman, who, finally having the decision-making power in her hands, decides not to appear on the cover, and chooses the title "Rabbits On The Run", almost tailor-made for this album with somewhat autumnal atmospheres, perfect for a walk in a November park, with deciduous trees, right after a long rain.

We could never have hoped for a single like "Carousel" before now, or tracks like "Hear The Bells" or the hypnotic closure "In The End", and if among the 10 tracks, in songs like "Dear California" and, above all, "Tall Tales For Spring" you can hear a faint echo of previous records, this time, at least, it’s entirely genuine.

The album continues relentlessly, perfectly natural, never exaggerated. It doesn’t need to be pushed, it’s simple, concise, but interesting. And, even if it wasn’t a big hit on the American charts, this time I am eager to hear what awaits us on the next page of a career that has just begun.