“For me, this is an album that’s focused on growth and maturity, but it’s not deadly serious,” says front man Barry Privett. “I wanted to examine my life and the lives of my family and friends and do it with a little bit of a wink. The last thing I wanted to do was get all dark and overwrought.”
Privett and his bandmates dodge that pitfall with aplomb on Nothing Rhymes With Woman, the much-anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed 2006 offering Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat. As ever, the quintet -- recently joined by drummer Jason Neal, a veteran of the southeast’s club circuit, and Seattle bassist Jon Markel -- challenge themselves and listeners by steadfastly refusing to retrace old steps, bringing in like-minded collaborators (like Toby Lightman, who brings a burnished tone to her vocal parts on the gritty “Meltdown”) and taking off in plenty of new directions of their own accord.
That sense of freshness, to hear Privett tell the tale, has a lot to do with the relaxed nature of the disc’s recording, which took place in their Richmond, Virginia backyard. “This time, we did something we hadn’t done in a long time, and that was to just throw away the timeline altogether,” says the singer. “We waited until everyone believed in every single song without any doubt or questions. It was a return to the days of doing music for the sheer joy of just doing it.”
The joy he’s talking about proves contagious throughout the 13-song disc, both in sonic touches like the soaring harmonies that buoy “Indecision” and the instantly relatable vibe of narratives like the nostalgic childhood flashback “X-Ray.” The tones are certainly varied -- things get more than a little misty on “Pink,” a poignant tale of a woman battling serious illness -- but they’re invariably free of artificiality. Every color here is one that one can find in nature.
“A lot of the songs are about getting back to your roots,” says Privett, who reckons the band gained a lot of traction by spending a considerable stretch of time close to home, as opposed to its usual relentless touring slate. “You know, holding onto the touchstones that keep you grounded in reality. They’re easy to lose sight of sometimes, and often you need reminding. Fortunately, we have friends and family that will do that in no uncertain terms.”
Nothing Rhymes With Woman finds the Virginia-based band firmly in touch with its roots -- the Celtic tinge that cloaks “Pink” is reminiscent of Carbon Leaf’s passel of self-released discs. Throughout the set, however, the quintet affirms a commitment to moving forward, kicking out the jams a bit more aggressively on the sinewy walking blues “Another Man’s Woman” and interpolating the rich organ playing of longtime Dave Matthews Band keyboardist Butch Taylor on several tracks, including the arresting opener “Indecision.”
“It’s always been really important to us to keep an organic feel to what we do,” says Privett. “For us, recording this album was like a renewal, kind of like the coming of spring. In a way, it’s very sensual, very sexual, gentle and mellow in spots, but also acknowledges a fair share of optimism and a re-awakening to new possibilities.
In 2004, Vanguard released Carbon Leaf’s breakthrough disc, Indian Summer, which earned rave reviews from sources like The Washington Post, which marveled at Privett’s ability to “capture the emotional ache of a twenty-something as he watches his friends scatter to the four corners of the world”. For the next year and a half, the quintet would set about winning over audiences while on tour -- a recipe that helped "Life Less Ordinary" and "What About Everything?” up the charts.
That winning streak continued with Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat, a darker collection, recorded in Nashville, that showcased other facets of the Carbon Leaf sound and rose to number-three on Billboard’s Top New Artists chart. “We definitely stretched ourselves on that album,” says Privett. “It was unsettling in a way, but definitely helped us find ourselves.”
Reunited with producer John Morand, who manned the board for Indian Summer, Carbon Leaf takes the proverbial next step on Nothing Rhymes With Woman. The multi-instrumental web woven by Carter Gravatt and Terry Clark provides a perfect backdrop for Privett’s tenor, which hovers ethereally on “Lake of Silver Bells” and cuts with the precision of a knife wielded by a master chef on the poignant “Miss Hollywood.”
“I think ’Miss Hollywood,’ like a lot of the album, has a kind of feminine energy, which helps explain the title,” says Privett. “It’s that balance of strength and fragility, of keeping dreams in check, but not forgetting where they came from. It’s a positive and nurturing energy, and that’s the feeling we’d like people to come away with when they listen to the album.”
Barry Privett: Vocals, guitar
Terry Clark: Guitar, vocals
Carter Gravatt: Guitar, vocals
Jason Neal: Drums, percussion
Jon Markel: Bass
Paper Thin
Carbon Leaf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why won't they come and play with me?
Backyard. Tree Fort.
Want to let them in.
But they're not my friends
Sometimes the ash grey mask will suit me fine
The moon is ignored only with the day
The sun is prettiest just before it goes away
Forever was just one day
Never really dawned on me
Such short-lived history
Everything I wanted never came
All that I'll become is for another day
Everything I had never stayed
Now the house is so empty
Put me in the chest my ventriloquist
Sometimes living in want is not so bad
Best friend I ever had
The opening phrase of "My attic is so full of life" suggests that the singer is quite lonely and seeks companionship, perhaps from imaginary friends that they believe to inhabit their attic. The singer's desire to let these imaginary friends into their tree fort suggests a longing for a playful, imaginative, and carefree existence. However, the singer realizes that they don't really have any friends to speak of, feeling isolated and disconnected. The line, "Sometimes the ash grey mask will suit me fine," suggests that the singer may put on a facade of being content with being alone.
The following lines, "The moon is ignored only with the day / The sun is prettiest just before it goes away," invoke the idea that the singer may appreciate fleeting and ephemeral aspects of life, beauty, and emotion. The lyrics suggest that the time that these objects hold their greatest beauty or have the greatest impact is when they are at their peak, or just before they fade away. Gigantic themes in a small world can also be deduced from the line, "Giants in a small world / Forever was just one day," which may allude to how the singer views themselves as being trapped or contained within their small existence.
The final lines suggest a quelling of the singer's need for companionship. The lack of response from others and the passing of time have led the singer to accept their solitary life. They find solace in their imagination as well as in objects or tokens that represent a connection to the past. As they state, "Put me in the chest my ventriloquist / Sometimes living in want is not so bad / Best friend I ever had."
Line by Line Meaning
My attic is so full of life
My attic is filled with mementos of past experiences that have shaped me into who I am today.
Why won't they come and play with me?
I feel lonely and yearn for the company of others to reminisce with.
Backyard. Tree Fort.
Remnants of childhood memories spent in the backyard tree fort.
Want to let them in.
I desire to share my memories with others and not keep them locked away.
But they're not my friends
Unfortunately, those who I wish to share my memories with are not my true friends.
Sometimes the ash grey mask will suit me fine
Occasionally, it is easier to put on a facade and mask my true emotions to blend in with others.
The moon is ignored only with the day
People tend to overlook the beauty of the moon when it is outshone by the sun during the day.
The sun is prettiest just before it goes away
The beauty of the sun is at its peak right before it sets, signifying the end of another day.
Giants in a small world
Feeling like a giant in a small world, as though I don't quite fit in.
Forever was just one day
The realization that time passes quickly, and what feels like forever is only a fleeting moment in time.
Never really dawned on me
I had never fully comprehended this concept before.
Such short-lived history
Life is short, and the memories we make are brief moments in the grand scheme of things.
Everything I wanted never came
Despite my desires, I have not been granted everything I have wished for.
All that I'll become is for another day
The changes I undergo will not come to fruition until a later time.
Everything I had never stayed
The things and people I once had and cherished did not stay with me forever.
Now the house is so empty
The empty house represents the loneliness I feel and the memories that no longer fill it.
Put me in the chest my ventriloquist
I am entrusting my memories to a safe, closed off place (like a chest), where they can't escape or hurt me.
Sometimes living in want is not so bad
Although I may not have everything I desire, living in a state of want does not have to be a negative experience.
Best friend I ever had
The memories and experiences I have lived through are my best friend and comfort me in my loneliness.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN HIATT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind