Most Popular
-
The Principal Matter
Teachers said Principal Gil Cho was dictatorial. Students said he manhandled them. The school district said he was doing a good job.
-
He's No Angel
They once called him a savior who helped people in need. Today, Edwin Parada is accused of taking money from Latinos unfamiliar with real estate laws.
-
Nonconformity Still Reigns!
The top eccentrics of San Francisco, and that's saying something.
-
A Time to Kill
The SPCA is struggling to finance a new hospital, and one way to save money is to speed up euthanasia.
-
Snitch
Deanna Johnson testified against a murderer to save her son. But in the projects, truth comes at a price.
Blogs
Fri Jul 18, 12:16 PM
Fri Jul 18, 5:57 AM
Fri Jul 18, 2:59 PM
Fri Jul 18, 2:21 PM
Thu Jul 17, 9:46 AM
Thu Jul 17, 9:23 AM
Recent Articles
Recent Articles by Jonah Flicker
No related articles found
National Features >
Houston Press
What mainstream publishers don't want you to know about door-to-door magazine sales.
By Craig Malisow
Riverfront Times
When these huntresses on are on the prowl, the prey very much wants to be caught.
By Unreal
Broward-Palm Beach New Times
How rumored McCain veep choice Charlie Crist wants to bail out Big Sugar.
By Bob Norman
SF Weekly
Are Asian women getting their jawbones cut to look whiter?
By Lauren Smiley
Vanessa Carlton
Heroes & Thieves (The INC/Universal)
Published on November 07, 2007
Irv Gotti, the mastermind behind the infectiously nettlesome Ja Rule and Ashanti, now counts piano-playing chanteuse Vanessa Carlton as part of his talent stable. But judging from the saccharine pop clichés on her new album, it appears he had very little to say as executive producer. The input you do hear is from the supernaturally gifted Linda Perry, who produces two tracks, "Spring Street" and "This Time," and Third Eye Blind goofball Stephan Jenkins (also Carlton's ex-boo), who not only co-executive-produces, but plays some percussion. A boss willing to shake maracas: We should all be so lucky.
If Carlton had refurbished her earnest tales of love and life into boom-bap pop-hop, it'd be pretty easy to find fault with that as well. She is talented, no question, with a pretty if unremarkable voice and a knack for writing soft pop that allows her tinkling ivories to shine front and center. But lines such as "Take away my record deal/Go on, I don't need it" ring forced, defensive, and unbelievable on the lead single, "Nolita Fairytale." And when she coos about "flippin' through the radio" and singing along to the "indie show" on "The One" (a duet with the venerable Stevie Nicks), you can't help but wish Carlton actually had tuned in instead of devouring Bruce Hornsby songs. At least if she had been encouraged to cut her sugar pop with a little of Gotti's urban magic dust, the results, for better or for worse, would have been more interesting.