I have a confession to make. My introduction to Carbon Leaf was mp3s on a CD data disc that was part of a swap with a co-worker. This, the RIAA will tell you, is illegal. But it did make me a Carbon Leaf fan, because I had never heard of them before I came upon their songs in my mp3 player and "Desperation Song" played for the first time. This, I thought, is a great song. I looked up the band on Google and discovered that they were from Richmond, VA and that they were appearing at a live in-store appearance at the Borders near me before their concert that evening. While a bookstore is not the perfect musical venue--and it was pretty strange to have a band set-up between Romance and Classic DVDs, while their audience just stood around--it was enough to sell me on their new album at full price (this is a big deal; over fifteen years ago J and I made a deal that we wouldn't buy a CD over $10 unless you were doing so as a gift to someone). I bought it and stood in the line to have all five members sign the booklet cover.

After putting that CD in the player shortly thereafter and listening to it since, I have never regretted my purchase. Every song on this CD is catchy and hummable; there's a lyrical passage in every tune that is just perfect. Yes, sometimes the lyrics strain under an the pressure of the assumed metaphor, but its never enough to buckle and the music usually moves you on so that pressure is just a dim memory. The music has a vaguely Celtic feel to it, somewhat supported by the rare penny whistle or not-so-rare mandolin. The lyrics are invariably good natured, upbeat and positive. If I had to categorize this, I'd call it modern electric folk. While the beat is there and the guys occasionally play loud, it doesn't necessarily rock, and it isn't pop because this is listening music not dance music. And it's definitely not country, unless you're Irish, and if so you'd wonder where the jig and reels were.

I'm not sure what the title has to do with the songs, but the shared theme seems to be "Life is Good." And while such a pollyanna kind of feeling doesn't normally indicate great music, it works here, perhaps because it is leavened by an acknowledgment that sometimes bad things happen and frustrations occur, but in the end, as long as you're alive, there's hope. "This is My Song!" is even straightforward about it, where the singer takes on the personas of both Luck and Hope.

Had it not been for my "criminal" ways, I probably would never have heard Carbon Leaf or "Desparation Song" and, thus, never bought this album, one of my top 50 favorites. In the best of all possible worlds, the ability to discover new music by a band that you are willing to support financially wouldn't be hampered by outdated business models and limited distribution channels. While the electronic internet comet has landed on Earth and started the coming Ice Age, the RIAA dinosaur still exists, but its days are numbered and there's a hell of a lot of musician mammals learning how to put on fur coats to survive until the warmth of the sun returns.