Kasey Chambers: Carnival

You know, I'm starting to think I start off too many of these the same way, but...

Sean's been speaking of Kasey Chambers for a few years, but I've had so many things I've wanted to listen to, I seem to keep forgetting about her. Enter Large Hearted Boy. Each week he digs out the highlights of CD and DVD releases, and I noticed Kasey in the list. So, of course, I jumped and downloaded it, and I have to say that I am glad I did. It's no Top10 album, mind you, but it's enjoyable and has solid replay value.

The album (I know nothing of the rest of Kasey's catalog) straddles that pop-country line that I may have mentioned I don't enjoy. I'd like to amend that statement to "I don't enjoy unimaginative pop-country."

As most albums seem to these days, Carnival comes in just over 45 minutes with a total of 12 tracks. Chambers, at least on this disc, seems to channels a country-ish, more soulful version of another beloved songstress, Lisa Loeb. And, believe it or not, that's a pretty good thing.

The lead of track, Colour of a Carnival, I bounce between enjoying and being turned off by the chorus lyric that just goes "Around and Around and Around and Around;" I get the need for the lyric in the song, but it just takes me out of the song. The Rain is a pretty average tune, but whips out the slide guitar in the background. That alone gives it a thumbs up from me. Railroad has a certain sinister sound to it that drew me right in and has been put on repeat on the ol' ipod. You Make Me Sing has a sultry undertone, with vocals just one or two steps away from Jazzy/Smokey vocals.

In the end: It's a solid album, definitely one of the better ones of Ought Six. Being unfamiliar with the rest of her catalog, I can only say that Carnival has a little something from everyone and is worth at least one listen.

On the Web: These reviews, and this whole part, would be useless without The Hype Machine.

Technorati Tagged: Kasey Chambers | Country | 2006