Brilliant. Alarming. Majestic. Bewitching. Gothic. Melancholy. Cryptic. These words and countless more describe Vanessa Carlton's sophomore album "Harmonium." Immeasurably superior in quality to her 2002 debut "Be Not Nobody," the singer/songwriter displays on her new LP the kind of artistic growth that seldom transpires between a mere two albums. Although female singers who play piano have not exactly been burning up the pop charts as of late, Carlton takes absolutely no notice of this. The result is an album she will doubtless find difficult to top.

Taking off on the strength of its lead single "White Houses," an absolutely outstanding opus about the bittersweet beauty of young love, it is easy to see the album is a worthy purchase if only for one song. The following "Who's To Say," however, completely nips that prospect in the bud with its killer chorus, pensive lyrics sung with full-blast urgency and exemplary piano playing that Carlton provides throughout the entirety of the disc.

Although the album is overall too heady and thought-provoking to find any of its songs in the Top 40, the song with the best chance of getting there is the fervid, rapturous "Private Radio," which gets sticky in the head like gum on a bleacher.

(I'm finally out of my pillow/'Cause I'm lyin' here, but I am ready good to go/If I don't win I'll leave this town/Or not I'll stay and chase the sun now/And you can't deny me/And you will oblige/It's my melody.)

The eerie, stream-of-conscious "Half A Week Before The Winter" concerns vampires and unicorns and exudes an air of a twisted state of grace.

(All the weight of empty promise/As I stand swallowed by the light/Flickering above the highway/I hold my head and know the streets are mine tonight.)

"C'est La Vie" and "San Francisco" contain gorgeous melodies, but even better is that of the hook of the impassioned, reflective "Afterglow."

(And if you could see/What's come over me/Then you would know/'Cause I'm walkin' free/The wind at my back/Bathed in afterglow.)

The final listed track is "She Floats," a tale of a dead woman's corpse who is "watching puddles gather rain" which features a sudden uprising of high-pitched female screams. A hidden track where she waxes on her odd fantasy of crashing her car, "The Wreckage," rounds out the disc.

Featuring pitch-perfect production from Third Eye Blind's Stephan Jenkins, Carlton's lucky boyfriend, in addition to guitar playing throughout by Fleetwood Mac's legendary Lindsey Buckingham, "Harmonium" is a sweeping collection of music that lovers of enchanting melodies and thought-provoking lyrics can devour. Without a doubt, there is more to Carlton than "A Thousand Miles."

Ok so I admit I had high hopes for Vanessa Carlton's sophomore album. I'm sure everyone did.

I wasn't let down, not in the least.

I was worried when I heard her single "White Houses". Her website continually reported that she'd have a darker, more gothic sound which was definitely not present in this upbeat "happy" song. Well, the rest of the album definitely showcases a darker sound. "Papa" for instance. And "The Wreckage" where she very acutely describes the beginning and afterwards of a devastating automobile accident. I believe it's a personal metaphor, but I'll have to listen to it some more.

Some surprise tracks: "Private Radio". The minute it came on in my CD player I thought to myself that it would be her second single. It's got a very nice radio sound. I'm sure there's a deeper level here, I just haven't listened to the album much since my first listen (and Im still giving it five stars! WOW!) "C'est La Vie" gave me chills down my spine for some reason. I was VERY pleased with this track.

Plain and simple, anyone with a penchant for piano, anyone with an appreciation for good songwriting, anyone who listens out for a wonderful voice...pick this up. Will you be disappointed? I doubt it.

Vanessa Carlton, slipped under my radar the first time around. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all heard "A Thousand Miles", but c'mon, was it worth an albums worth of material? I dont know. Now, shes got Harmonium, which is just...(searching for the right word) BEAUTIFUL, Vanessa has created what I believe to be what Tori Amos would have sounded like if she'd continued recording in the style of "Little Earthquakes".

Every song on here shows a different entity of her songwriting, from the masterpiece of a first single, "White Houses" (about the process of meeting new friends/falling in love/losing friends...the perfect summer song) to the very very last song "The Wreckage" (a detailing almost ethereal experience about an automobile accident caused by road rage). I wont delve into every song on the album, but I will say this, the highlights on the album are "Who's to Say" (featuring background vocals by Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes), "C'est la Vie" (about coming to terms with life and love and not giving a f*ck about it), and "Annie" which is so heartwrechingly beautiful, it might pull a couple tears out.

However, I must say that my personal two favorites are "Half a Week Before the Winter"...which oh my god, is just quite possibly one of the most beautiful, emotional compositions Ms. Carlton has ever done. It paints a visual in your head, and for those who've heard it, doesnt it sound like she was inspired by "Underworld"? Listen to the lyrics "Half a week before the winter, the chill bites before it comes, and I'm a child of the pleasure, daddy brings before he runs...he whispers dreams into my ear...though I've given him his empire, he delivers me my fear" (Siouxsie and the Banshees would be proud!) My other favorite is "She Floats", a powerful composition, dark yet full of vibrant vocals and strings in the beginning, what a way to end a beautiful album. (It was great live, too!)

Overall, this album is unmistakably great! I highly recommend it!

"Harmonium" is one of those albums that you'll probably find yourself pulling out of your collection years later. It already has that timeless feel to it, and the quality of recording is such that it immediately feels superior to the latest works of supposed geniuses Tori Amos and Norah Jones. I love some work of the artists just mentioned, but it must be said that with time, many artists just don't retain the 'it' factor. But Carlton, despite facing a baffling radio ban post her big hit 'A Thousand Miles', went into hibernation and emerges with the prize jewel - "Harmonium". Not in recent memory has an album been so immediately accessible and so, well, musical.

The reason why Vanessa won me over with this CD is because even though a LOT of reviewers compare her to Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Michelle Branch and Jewel, she is all of them and then some, yet retaining her own individuality. She is not as purposely weird as Tori Amos (one listen to her latest 'The Beekeeper', and I wonder if even she understands the 'deep, inner meanings' of her increasingly absurd and pointless lyrics), not as angry and upset as Fiona Apple, not as corporate label hungry as Michelle Branch (Maverick should be so lucky), and not as Alaskan-country as Jewel. She retains all of their elements, and then infuses it with her own stylized way of singing. Granted, her singing could be way better, but she lives within her range. She is not trying to be Celine Dion and nor should she.

Her 'White Houses' is a masterpiece from start to finish. Notice the piano, and the multilayered piano section that permeates the entire second half of the song. Someone who has been really trained in music has composed this song, and it shows. Sheer brilliance. This album starts off pretty poppy, and then ventures into darker territory. Someone mentioned that Vanessa was more of a goth on this CD than anywhere else in her discography. True, but this has more to do with the music than I think her intended personality for this record. Listen to the lyrics. Could a Michelle Branch or an Avril Lavigne even dare compare to the simplistic yet stunning beauty that are 'White Houses' and 'Annie'? I think not. Even Carltons' maligned cover of U2s' Where the Streets have no name is not as cruel as one would imagine (the song is available only on the import edition of 'Harmonium').

All in all, the CD has a light, summery feel to it that belies the somewhat dark subject matter. Vanessa discusses death, the meaning of life, growing pangs, relationships, spirituality, places and their memories, in such amazing detail, its as if a writer of prose suddenly decided to tell his story in musical form. Suprisingly, this works in this instance, and we should all be so grateful. I particularly enjoyed the depth of 'She Floats' and 'Papa'. Of course, the radio friendly hits 'Private Radio' and hummable 'San Fransisco' see to it that this album could be a hit on every station, but the other tracks are the ones that truly elevate this album to the exalted status I have given it.

I just noticed that the CD hasn't done well and is fast slipping down the charts. A pity because here it is. 2004s' best album by a long way, and no one knows about it. Well, at least you do, now, so do yourself a favor and get this. Guaranteed this is one CD thats bound to become your new best friend and you won't leave home without it. I know I don't!

Amazing. If only all music came this good. Five Stars.

"Harmonium" is the second album from piano player Vanessa Carlton. You probably know her best from the song "A Thousand Miles", basically the only song you heard on the radio in 2002. With this album, her vocals and lyrics have greatly improved.

"White Houses"--The first single, is incredibly catchy and very personal. It is about Vanessa and five friends, and the hardships that they experience one summer. The video is awesome. There are two Vanessas in it; one plays the piano and sings the song, while the other dances to it. It represents the piano player in Vanessa battling the dancer in Vanessa. You should buy the album just for this song; it is worth it. 5/5

"Who's To Say"--A great song. Not mindblowing or as wonderful as "White Houses", but still a very good song. It is about Vanessa telling everyone that her and her boyfriend will stay together no matter what anybody, not even her family, thinks. 4/5

"Annie"--One of the highlights of the album. It is about a dying girl who seems to haunt Vanessa's thoughts everywhere she goes. The piano on this song is beautiful, and they lyrics are very moving. 5/5

"San Francisco"--An instant classic! This was the first song on the CD that became my favorite other than "White Houses". It is about Vanessa's experiences in, you guessed it, San Francisco. Some of they lyrics are a little weird ("I always liked Steinbeck and those old men whistling"), but the song rocks and is very catchy as well. Another album highlight. 5/5

"Afterglow"--A very beautiful and relaxing song. The lyrics are also a little confusing, but I think that is about Vanessa in a state of depression, but trying to see the positive side of things. This song may take a few listenings for you to like it. 4/5

"Private Radio"--Excellent! Very catchy with a wonderful dance beat. This is another of my favorite songs on the album, yet it is another of those songs with confusing lyrics. Some of us think that it is about insomnia ("All the world has gone to bed/And there's a sound inside my head/And in the dark inside my bed/And this melody that's in my head"), but I guess no one knows for sure except Vanessa. I think that this will be one of her singles. Yet another highlight of the album. 5/5

"Half a Week Before the Winter"--hands down the most gothic song on the album, with very strange lyrics. It is about vampires attacking unicorns, that's for certain; but I also think that they are exposed to sunlight and burn. It may be confusing and a bit gothic, but it is an excellent song. 5/5

"C'est la Vie"--I am really not crazy about this song. Her vocals go up and down in the middle of this song, kind of like yodeling. There are other songs that were cut that definitely could have replaced this one. Vanessa said that she wanted a 10-track album, and there is a hidden bonus track that also could have taken this song's place. 3/5

"Papa"--Awesome! The piano on this song is incredible, and is the "Wanted" of this album (for those who have her first album, you will know what I am talking about). Vanessa said that it is not about her father, so I am not really sure what the song is about. It is still an excellent song. 5/5

"She Floats"--very-how can I say it?-depressing, yet soothing. I think it is about a girl who commits suicide by drowning. It is kind of a sad song, and in the middle, there is a chorus of people screaming. It is not like a stupid horror movie scream, but sort of like an organized, practiced, melodious scream. The "chorus" is actually Vanessa and her boyfriend, with their voices multiplied to sound like a bunch of people. A great song. 4/5

Hidden Track: "The Wreckage"--Another great song. It is only Vanessa and her piano, and the song is about Vanessa thinking about her car crashing into another on the highway. She admits that she is a bad driver, so that was probably the drive behind this song. It is the shortest song on the album, but the piano is very surreal, almost like the music you would expect to go along with the song content. 5/5

This is an enhanced CD, which has a 20 minute video called "Pleased to Meet You", which is a behind the scenes video about the making of the album. My favorite part of the video is Vanessa's dance rehearsals for the "White Houses" video. If you liked the first Vanessa Carlton album, you will LOVE this one. If you didn't love her first album, you will still love this one. THE best album of the year by far!