“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
summer song
Carbon Leaf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cinnamon
What went wrong
Summer Song
Splinter snag
Windvein ragged
Faded trends
Summer ends
What's that I thought I heard you say?
Lunarscape and cold winds on their way
Whistling banshee through the screen
Salt air and isolation sting
Melon seed-spitting wars
Toys lost in the sand
Innocence is scorched
Summer leaves its brand
Bat away a hurricane's eyelash
Ushering by the season past
Hinting, dapples pinching through my sleeve
Intimating that I leave
Hurricane remember me
Hurricane watch over me
From this point we roll along
Without a trace of summer song
The song "Summer Song" by Carbon Leaf is a wistful ode to the end of summer. The opening line "Soak the sun, cinnamon" paints a vivid image of a lazy summer day, with the sun shining down and the scent of cinnamon in the air. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the summer is coming to an end, with lines like "What went wrong, Summer Song" and "Faded trends, Summer ends". The singer reflects on the passing of time and the melancholy that can come with the changing of seasons.
The second half of the song takes on a more ominous tone, with the introduction of the imagery of a hurricane. The singer seems to be using the impending storm as a metaphor for the passage of time and the inevitability of change. They ask the hurricane to "remember me" and "watch over me", perhaps seeking some kind of protection or a way to hold onto the fading memories of summer. But ultimately, the song ends on a note of acceptance, with the line "From this point we roll along, without a trace of summer song". The summer has come to an end, and it's time to move forward into whatever the next season brings.
Line by Line Meaning
Soak the sun
Absorb the rays of the sun
Cinnamon
Aromatic spice commonly associated with autumn
What went wrong
Reflecting on what didn't go as planned during the summer
Summer Song
A nostalgic tune that encapsulates the essence of summer
Splinter snag
Getting a painful piece of wood caught in the skin
Windvein ragged
The wind constantly changing direction, causing instability
Faded trends
Trends that were popular during the summer have now lost their appeal
Summer ends
The season of summer is coming to a close
What's that I thought I heard you say?
Asking someone to repeat what they just said
Lunarscape and cold winds on their way
The arrival of autumn is imminent, bringing with it new weather patterns and landscapes
Whistling banshee through the screen
A loud, eerie sound that's carried through the air
Salt air and isolation sting
The feeling of detachment and loneliness, accompanied by the salty ocean air
Melon seed-spitting wars
Having fun with friends, engaging in silly competitions
Toys lost in the sand
Items being misplaced or lost at the beach
Innocence is scorched
The harsh reality of life can damage or destroy the innocence of youth
Summer leaves its brand
Summer marks a lasting impression on one's memories and experiences
Bat away a hurricane's eyelash
Deflecting the minor impacts of significant events
Ushering by the season past
Making way for the next season to take its place
Hinting, dapples pinching through my sleeve
Subtle reminders of summer seeping through daily life
Intimating that I leave
Hinting that it's time to move on from the summer season
Hurricane remember me
A plea to be remembered in the wake of a powerful event
Hurricane watch over me
A request for protection during turbulent times
From this point we roll along
Moving forward from this moment in time
Without a trace of summer song
Erasing all remnants of the summer season, both good and bad
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind