Carter Shows Natural Charm as Performer

It’s easy to see why new country music sensation Deana Carter almost slipped through the fingers of Nashville record executives.

The 30-year-old singer, who made her Southern California debut before a packed house Thursday night at the Ventura Theatre, was shuffled between various labels for six years before an album was finally released last year.

That collection, a pop and country hit that has sold more than 2 million copies, nicely showcases Carter’s subtle strengths as a singer and songwriter.

Like Garth Brooks, minus the flamboyance, Carter injects a song with the seemingly natural intimacy that is sometimes hard to spot in the entertainment-conscious razzle-dazzle of the pop or country worlds.

On stage Thursday, she didn’t sing like an angel (think Emmylou Harris) or demonstrate a captivating vocal power (Wynonna). But there was something in the simple, honest feeling of the songs--many of which she co-wrote--and in her understated delivery that personalized her story for audience members.

“Here’s a song about a relationship I was in [with someone who] didn’t appreciate me very much,” Carter said late in her hour set, introducing “Did I Shave My Legs for This?”--the playful but pointed title song of her Capitol Nashville album.

There was really no need for the setup, because the preceding key selections displayed that this is the music of experience.

Carter’s subject matter is almost exclusively romance--the good times, the bad and the in-between. She can be rowdy--as in “Shave”--or she can be sensitive. There’s an edge of wary uncertainty in such tunes as “I’ve Loved Enough to Know” and “Count Me In” that isn’t easy to convey convincingly, but Carter’s vocals capture well the emotional tug of war between what the heart wants and the head warns is trouble. It’s gently engaging music that is intelligent and illuminating.

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Backed on the tour by a six-piece band, Carter exhibits the same naturalness as a performer as she does on record. She shuns both the flashy outfits favored by some female country singers and the sexy ones adopted by others.

On Thursday, the barefoot singer wore just a simple white sweater and jeans. She, too, thanked the audience for their support without resorting to the condescending, aw-shucks patter that is so common in the field.

The audience seemed to sense Carter’s genuineness and independence, because the response was unusually affectionate. The fans sang along loudly on both of her hit singles: “Strawberry Wine,” a sweet first-love reminiscence, and “We Danced Anyway,” an equally nostalgic look at a moment of sheer happiness.

It may have taken Carter a long time to get her career going in Nashville, but she’s now clearly one of country music’s most promising figures.