BRANDI CARLILE - THE STORY CD Review

BRANDI CARLILE - THE STORY


Washington born singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile is definitely making a name for herself in the music world thanks to her natural talent and the raw emotion that comes across in her music. With plaudits aplenty Brandi can’t seem to put a foot wrong at the moment. Rolling Stone magazine placed Brandi in their top ten artists to watch out for, this seems a worthy placement given that Brandi’s songs have been used in the popular American television show Greys Anatomy and she has worked with the highly acclaimed - Indigo Girls, who also happen to be her musical idols. Music magazines have raved over Brandi’s talents and as more and more people are finding out about her and her music they are jumping on the Brandi Carlile bandwagon.

The Story is Brandi’s second album and was produced by none other than Grammy Award winner T Bone Burnett.

The album kicks off with a pleasant track called Late Morning Lullaby written by Brandi. Shelby Lynne is instantly drawn to mind listening to this track. This track gives the listener a tantalizing taste of what’s to come and leaves the listener eagerly waiting to hear more.

The Story is a real mixed bag with some slow and some really old style sounding songs blended together with some more lively and rocky songs. This surprising mix of styles and sounds gives the album a very natural feel to it. Although the songs on this album are all very different the album flows gracefully from one track to the next.

The title track – The Story shows off Brandi’s gravely vocals. The song appears raw and fresh and once again leaves the listener wanting more. Turpentine (again written by Brandi and her first single from this album), is a livelier song but again Brandi’s raw sound comes through. Brandi obviously has a fantastic talent when it comes to writing songs. The lyrics for this particular song are a fine example of this talent. It remains to be seen how Brandi will develop her talent for writing and singing in years to come.

My Song is a faster song with a more rocky sound. The instrumentation on this song is a lot heavier but Brandi lifts her voice to stand well above the noise of the music. It is clear to see from this track why Brandi has been compared to Bonnie Raitt amongst others.

Have You Ever would not sound out of place on a country radio show. It is a gentle number with little backing and simple yet effective lyrics. Brandi is able to show off her vocal talents on this excellent track. Josephine (written by Tim Hanseroth and Brandi Carlile) is another simple track that is absolutely adorable. I am left wondering if Emmylou Harris influenced this track in any shape or form. Downpour further into the album is another slow track with simple yet very powerful lyrics. Brandi grew up listening to country music and it is easy to see that what she heard influenced her musical path.

It is hard to know how to label Brandi’s music as it effortlessly floats between pop, country, folk and blues depending on which track on the album you are listening to. There is even a hint of jazz later on into the album.

Losing Heart is a heavier track showcasing Brandi’s gravely vocals once again. A catchy chorus line has the listener easily singing a long.

Cannonball again written by Brandi kicks off with the lyrics “I was born when I met you, now I am dying to forget you”. This song is another where there is little backing allowing Brandi’s vocals to once again shine through and that she certainly does. This is a gentle, old fashioned sounding song full of emotion, which Brandi carefully exudes in her vocals. Special guests on this track are Emily Saliers and Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls.

Shadow On The Wall mixes blues with a tinge of jazz. Again this track was written by Brandi and Tim Hanseroth. This track shows another side to Brandi’s vocal talents. This track goes to show that Brandi definitely has a voice suited to blues if she chooses to pursue this path, on the other hand tracks like Josephine and Have You Ever show that Brandi has a voice well suited to the world of country music.

The final track on this mesmerizing album is – Again Today. This is a song full of vocal angst with wonderfully crafted lyrics that conjure up many images in the mind of the listener. I think it could be a case with this song of leaving the best till the very last as this song is definitely my favourite on the album. It is such an outstanding song.

Don’t turn the CD off too soon as there is a bonus track a few minutes after Again Today finishes that is definitely worth waiting for. It is a delightful track that again shows off Brandi’s delicate/softer vocals. This track although a bonus track is worthy of a play on any country radio show or mainstream radio show for that matter as it is a beautiful song.

It is with sadness that the album finally comes to an end. I was left feeling that there was so much more we could learn about Brandi if only the album would go on for another forty minutes but like all good albums it had to come to a close. Hooked now on this young singer’s unique vocals and amazing writing talents I will be scouring the magazines and internet for news of her next album and future UK tour dates.
Brandi Carlile has been in the UK this year appearing as Newton Faulkner’s special guest on five of his sold out tour dates as well as headlining her own sell out tour in the. She has also had the honour of appearing on the Jools Holland show. With words like ‘brilliant’, ‘blown away’ and ‘fabulous’ being used to describe Brandi Carlile it is safe to say that she is going to be around for a long while to come. What an exciting prospect that is for all music lovers!