For Carbon Leaf's sixth studio album, I've gotta say that I was a little bit disappointed in Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat. It could be that I'm just a huge Carbon Leaf fan and therefore have unfair expectations of them, but I do think they fell short with this album.
One of my favorite things about Carbon Leaf as a band is that they have never been afraid to be different. I've always loved their Irish influence (not something that's typical of rock music) and their use of unconventional instruments (tin flute, stand-up bass, mandolin). I think Barry Privett has one of the more interesting voices I've ever heard, and his vocals are always spot-on, even in their live shows. For the most part, their music doesn't follow any standard pattern--you cannot mistake them for anyone else out there. All of these things combined are what made Carbon Leaf such a force to be reckoned with when there were an up-and-coming act.
Unfortunately, on this latest album, most of these qualities were not there. The Irish influence is undetectable (and has been for the last few years, save for one song on Indian Summer from 2004), and while there were still hints of the stand-up bass and the mandolin on this album, they were not prominently featured by any means. I still enjoyed Barry's vocals (and the harmonies were still complex and well-executed, like I would expect from them), but his knack for interestingly woven lyrics seems to be missing. The biggest disappointment for me was that the music itself seemed flat. Each song sounded very similar to the next, and the whole album was very mellow. My overall impression was that this CD would be excellent background music, but not something I could listen to and be moved by.
There are some good songs--"Learn to Fly" was the first single released and actually has a pretty intricate (albeit catchy) melody. The lyrics make sense (unlike in some of the songs) and produce a nice image. It's still not on the level of "Life Less Ordinary" from Indian Summer, but I think it was the best choice for a single release. The other standouts for me were "Bright Lights," "Comfort," and "International Airport," mainly due to the slightly unusual styling and phrasing in the songs. I would describe the rest of the songs as "nice and pretty," but I'm not sure I could even discern one from another.
The quality of the recording was absolutely pristine, which can be a good thing, but to be honest, I prefer the more raw quality that their earlier albums had. I guess there's just something comforting about listening to a CD that may as well have been recorded in your living room. While I think the rougher recordings give a more accurate portrayal of Carbon Leaf's music, I did like the clarity of the vocals on this album. Barry is known for his ability to hit soaring high notes, but on this recording, he explores his lower range more, and the flawless sound quality does make his voice shine. I would have liked to have seen more spotlight on the other band members, as they are all extremely talented, and perhaps this perfect recording would have showcased what they are capable of.
While I wasn't knocked off my feet, I'll certainly continue to listen to songs off this album, and I'm not giving up on Carbon Leaf--they have an enormous amount of creativity and talent, and hopefully the folks at Vanguard Records will encourage them to get back to their roots for their next studio effort.
Track Listing:
1. Learn to Fly
2. Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat
3. Under the Wire
4. Royal One
5. A Girl and Her Horse
6. Texas Stars
7. Block of Wood
8. comfort
9. The War Was in Color
10. Bright Lights
11. International Airport
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