Music Reviews
Songstress inspires deep thought
By Maryann Dakkak
Managing Editor
It takes about five seconds to realize that this girl is not native to the U.S. Her English accent gives personality to the deep, resonating tones of her voice.
Take Poe and Fiona Apple, mix them together and take away some experience, and you've got an idea of what Sheila Nicholls offers in her new album enititled Wake.
The name in itself, along with the album, seems like false advertising. On the album cover, she's jumping through the air with a smile and flowing clothes.
The inside cover, a black and white photo with her looking very somber indeed gives a much better picture of the general mood of the album.
Like Poe's Haunted, the album is full of deep moving music that makes you just want to close your eyes. The percussion is varied using bongos sometimes, drums at other times and a variety of rhythms and mixes of instruments.
Her thoughts, desperations, frustrations and joys are expressed through the poignant lyrics. The songs often start out softly and a tone of depression can be inferred from the soft music and longing words. "A stretch between telling you everything and nothing at all/ My breath in is your breath out." The songs range from personal experiences (above quote) to worldly issues.
"This album is loosely based around the notion of faith," she said. "It's about the troughs and peaks of having and not having it, what we choose to put it in, why it doesn't work, and how vital it is to have it anyway."
The tracks are all fairly mellow with a few livelier songs sprinkled in. So if you're in the mood to wallow, do some deep thinking or just relax, Sheila Nichols could be one of your friends. B
Carlton proves she's not a Nobody any longer
By Cheryl Noland
TSC Writer
Don't simply compare Vanessa Carlton with piano playing singer/songwriters Tori Amos and Fiona Apple.
On her debut album Be Not Nobody, the vibrant young musician has created a fresh, pop-oriented sound that stands out in an industry lacking long-lasting talent.
A Pennsylvania native and ex-ballerina, Carlton gave up dance for music, crafting unique pop/rock songs on her debut that all have the potential to be released as singles.
But there is no question that Carlton is classically-influenced, as she blends the old with the new, most notably on the up-tempo opening track "Ordinary Day," a song backed by a commanding orchestra. Thankfully, Carlton's sweet yet strong vocals don't get lost in the music.
Though Carlton first captured our attention with her current hit single, "A Thousand Miles," her best work is heard on "Rinse, " a revealing ballad about a woman who needs to let go of a man who doesn't appreciate her.
She whispers, "But everything happens for reasons that she will never understand / 'Til she knows that the heart of a woman will never be found in the arms of a man."
Carlton expresses all sides of herself � the more vulnerable, the more engaging. This is particularly evident on the fiery jazz tune "Prince," where she lets out all of her aggression, note by agonizing note.
Surprisingly, Carlton competently handles the Rolling Stones classic "Paint It Black," belting out the song's dark, emotional lyrics.
Though her version does not top the original, Carlton doesn't need to rely on a snazzy cover tune to get noticed. B+