I thoroughly enjoyed this album; however, having heard the songs prior to release live, I was a bit turned-off by the production. Carlton's raw, honest delivery vocally and instrumentally (my reason for purchasing) was all but lost amongst the bells and whistles. Even still, this album has more hits than misses, and Carlton's maturation is more than evident. A worthwhile buy overall but, in my opinion, does not showcase Vanessa's strengths as a pop artist.

When i first heard a song by Vanessa Carlton i was pulled in & swept away, & happy to be! It is just like the kind of rapture experienced when rolling in the wind and waves on the ocean with much solitude and inner reflection. And the magic stays & grows, & even when i think i'm not in the mood i can put in a CD and i'm home again, and home is where the heart is. Heroes & Thieves (Vanessa's third CD) succeeds in returning to the candid and intimate pictures Vanessa can paint with words and piano as she did on "Be Not Nobody"(the first CD). These songs are the stories of a young woman expressed in lyrical poetry. I became a nessie quickly, while some folk grow into it. Nessies do not need an explanation, and will own all three CD's, but for others i say i find the tunes endearing and enduring. Even exiting, ethereal & evergreen. Vanessa can work a-cappella but it's fabulous how she and the orchestra complement each other just perfectly. In fact, the dubbing, mixing, and back-up singers energizes these tunes even more. The debut CD "Be Not Nobody" remains the favorite for me, but the last two CD's are equally enjoyable too. On the debut CD, Vanessa makes "Paint it Black" all her own & the Indian Sitar/Raga ambiance is brilliant. Vanessa's music rises above the average, has a mystical, kind of sacred-gospel feeling from the piano and a honey-sweet voice. Carol King could also do this. And i'm also reminded of the spirituality of the Van Morrison songs. The wistful and planitiff moods of Vanessa's intonations allow the listener to follow his or her own interpretations. At the end of Heroes & Thieves,if you wait about ten seconds, you can hear a little dog bark. Why? Why not? Be Not Nobody:-)

Awesome CD! her songs are so different of what you heard and they wake up your soul. I bought this cd and I fall in love with it. Will always be one of my favorites. Don't listen to the bad reviews people give to this cd, they just don't understand and see the songs like the people that love her see it.

If you have ever liked Vanessa, you will probably love this. It's another album showing her growth as an artist. It has a few very poppy songs, but the rest are relaxing. I love the piano music, definitely my favorite part. I really like the second half of the cd, especially "Home" and "More than This". I really like the message in "More than This". Look up the lyrics.

She's not very mainstream, and you don't hear her often on the piano. I don't care though, she has a wonderful sound that some people can't enjoy. I'd prefer good songs with meaning over the crap on the radio every day.

Carlton's third album, Heroes & Thieves, blew me away from the first single. Far less mainstream than Harmonium, Heroes & Thieves returns to the heartbreaking modesty of Be Not Nobody. Single-worthy songs appear at every turn, every one of which is a beautiful combination of lyricism and instrumentals. A wonder to listen to again and again.