I listened to this album as I was driving in the car with my dad. I assumed her music was categorized under rock from first looks due to the electric guitar photos in the lyric booklet. Listening, I would say she’s “modern rock”. If it makes any sense, I imagine her music playing in the background of a dinner party for people who enjoy rock music but also like something more chill. The album starts slow, then builds up to a climax, and then brings itself down to finish the show/album.
For a live show, I guess this makes sense–you build the energy in the crowd and bring back down the energy as you finish the concert. With that said, I wasn’t at the concert; instead, I was hearing her for the first time. For me, the album starting slow made me unsure if I was going to like her music. I told myself I would give it three songs until I decide to move on or continue to listen. To Laura Carbone’s luck, the music picked up, and I started to get more intrigued. Now, you may like more slow-paced songs, but I personally like when something has more energy. I think “Silky Road” is my favorite. It has engaging electric guitar rhythms and a pace of music that fluctuates from slow to fast. Additionally, I think she controls her vocals very well in this song. Everything is sung very clearly, but there’s also a lot of emotion as she raises her voice.
Like I mentioned in the beginning, I listened to this album with my dad, so he also has some input. As my dad listened with me, he said there were multiple artists Laura Carbone reminded him of. When the album started with “Empty Sea,” my dad’s first thought was that she sounded like Alanis Morisette. When comparing it to “Uninvited” by Alanis Morisette, he felt there was a reminiscence to her quiet, slow sound. As we continued listening, he mentioned how the Pretenders might be an influence for her. In addition to the other artists, KT Tunstall is another singer that resembles Laura’s music, especially compared to Laura’s “Silky Road” with the richness of her voice. For example, KT Tunstall does a cover from the Clash’s song “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” and not only does it start similarly, but the way they control their voices in their songs is similar as well.
After listening, I was curious about where the Rockpalast was and wanted to know more about the artist in general. To my surprise, the Rockpalast (or Rock Palace) is a German music television show that broadcasts live music. Since Laura Carbone sang in English, I would’ve never imagined it being from Germany. In fact, Laura Carbone is a German composer based in Berlin. Guess you never know what may come into the mail at SCAD Radio.
To learn more about Laura Carbone and her music, check out https://www.lauracarbone.com/
Click here to listen to her album “Live at Rockpalast”
