Brandi Carlile, The Story (Columbia, 2007)

Brandi Carlile's self-titled 2005 debut CD made a big impression with me, due to the combination of some memorably catchy melodies and Carlile's husky, powerful alto. The past two years have seen her gradually building up a following, due to her strong live performances and some exposure on TV shows like Grey's Anatomy. Her sophomore effort The Story expands on the folk rock of the first album, branching out towards both country and harder rock. As before, her two primary accompanists and collaborators are identical twins Phil (bass) and Tim (lead guitar) Hanseroth. Renowned producer T Bone Burnett was brought to oversee the sessions for this recording.

One thing that becomes immediately obvious upon listening to The Story is that the vocals were done straight, with little or no overdubbing. Burnett clearly intended to capture the rawness in Carlile's vocals. I feel that the approach works well, and is needed to fully showcase the energy which Carlile puts into her singing, but it was the subject of a rather heated debate when the title song was the iTunes free download of the week about a month ago. Most of the comments centered around a moment nearly three minutes into the song, when Carlile's voice cracks as she reaches for a high note. One of the negative responders suggested that Simon Cowell would have a field day with that one, which led to somebody else suggesting that the American Idol audience wouldn't know honest music if they heard it. Indeed, the honesty in Brandi Carlile's music is her greatest asset (if you go for that sort of thing, naturally). Carlile sings from the heart, and that more than anything else gives her voice its power. The lyrics are likewise pointed and direct. The musical arrangements seldom differ from a standard two guitars, bass and drums format, but they suit Carlile's voice and style well.

The Story is a pretty solid CD from top to bottom. Standout tracks include a couple of particularly good rockers in "My Song" and "Losing Heart," a nice upbeat acoustic number in "Have You Ever," and an ominous minor-key ballad in "Shadow On The Wall." I don't think the best songs on the new CD match "Closer To You" and "Throw It All Away," the two real gems from Carlile's first album, so on the whole I probably wouldn't rate it quite as high. Still, anybody who liked the first CD will like this one as well, and anybody interested in hearing some honest, emotional, straight-from-the-gut singing and writing from a fresh young face on the music scene will want to give Brandi Carlile a listen.

Overall grade: B+

Brandi Carlile

Reviewed by Rachel Wifall

I had the pleasure of seeing Brandi Carlile in performance at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, on May 25, 2006. She is a 23-year-young singer/songwriter from Washington State who sings and plays acoustic guitar with power and a country flair. Her debut album Brandi Carlile was released last year; it includes ten tracks, some written by Brandi alone, others variously co-written with her two band members, Seattle natives Tim and Phil Hanseroth—also called “The Twins.” While both brothers sing backup vocals, Tim also plays guitar and Phil plays bass. The album features a few different drummers and, on a couple of tracks, strings.

In concert, Brandi opened with a rousing rendition of Bob Dylan’s “The Time’s They Are A-Changin’,” which featured vigorous guitar strumming, a strident drumbeat, and powerful heartfelt vocals. Brandi was a down-to-earth and unassuming presence, wearing jeans, high top sneakers and a simple blazer over a t-shirt. Throughout the show Tom and Phil Hanseroth were energetic and positive forces onstage with Brandi, both with shaved heads, tattoos and casual clothes; Phil actually didn’t wear shoes. Also shoeless was a cellist who remained onstage with the band throughout the show. The group was completed by a drummer (one drummer), a New Yorker whose mother we met up on the balcony.

Before the show, I was only familiar with the catchy, rolling tune “Closer to You.” This number, which features only drums and acoustic guitar, moves along at a fast clip, taking the listener on a ride both through the countryside and the singer’s sense of longing. I was willing to go to the city and pay for the show based simply on my knowledge of this addictive song (which I’ve had playing in my car for the past month or so—over and over...); however, I was bowled over by all I heard at the show. The first original song which the band played was “Follow,” which begins slowly and quietly with acoustic guitar and cello but crescendos with Brandi’s gritty, gut-wrenching and multi-octave emoting. Song after song—some on the album, some new—the band continued to thrill me with their energy. Needless to say, I bought the album at the show.

The album: I like it. I like it a lot. However, it is missing some of the intensity of the band’s live performance. I suppose this is to be expected, but some of Brandi’s vocals, which were so powerfully and variously delivered on stage, come off on the album as a bit stylized and “samey” (an adjective made up by a former director of mine, which I have never been able to shake—it’s so useful). Most tracks also do not feature the strings which helped to give the music on stage so much depth. With this said, I still recommend the album highly. “Throw It All Away” is a beautifully haunting piece; “Happy” is a well-crafted, lightly-delivered country song which trips along and hearkens, for me, to the 1970’s; “Tragedy” is a moody tune which has been featured on the show “Grey’s Anatomy.”

For samples of her music, you can go to the Brandi Carlile website, or you can find her on My Space. Perhaps my call for more variety on her album was anticipated: it will be re-released both in stores and online on Tuesday, June 13th. The new version will contain the radio edit of “What Can I Say” (a catchy tune with rich harmonies and steady rhythm) and a new recording of “Throw It All Away”—as well as two bonus tracks, including a live version of “Sixty Years On” (an Elton John song) and “Tragedy (Austin Cello Version).” Brandi and band will be on tour through the end of June; details can be found on the band’s website.

Overall Grade: A-

Top 10 CD's of 2005

Hello and Happy New Year everybody. The birth of the Armchair Critic site gives me the opportunity to revive an old annual tradition of posting my 10 favorite albums of the year. I had a pretty good selection to choose from this year, and as usual the list adds some new faces to the fold to go alongside return efforts from recently-made acquaintances and old stand-bys alike.

10. Hurdy Gurdy, "Prototyp": Garmarna's Stefan Brisland-Ferner and Hedningarna's Totte Mattson take two Swedish hurdy-gurdies and a smattering of electronics and produce one of the most groundbreaking albums you're going to hear from anybody in any genre.

9. Richard Thompson, "Front Parlour Ballads": An average album by Richard Thompson's standards will never have any difficulty cracking my top 10 lists. A mere thirty-eight years removed from his first LP with Fairport Convention, he's still as good a songwriter and guitarist as you'll find.

8. Porcupine Tree, "Deadwing": What started as Steven Wilson's one-man-in-his-basement project has evolved over the past decade into a full-fledged, first-rate band bringing modernized art rock to the masses, or at least to their cult following.

7. Frigg, "Oasis": Folk fiddles from Finland and Norway. Their self-titled debut would have made last year's list if I had a chance to post one, and the follow-up is even better.

6. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Howl": Grunge band with strong Jesus and Mary Chain influence does about-face with third record and puts out rootsy, mostly acoustic, gospel-tinged effort. Somehow, it still works.

5. The New Pornographers, "Twin Cinema": Formed from the remnants of a couple of popular Vancouver bands, with a helping of (mostly backing) vocals from alt-country goddess Neko Case thrown in for good measure, The New Pornographers spent their first two albums bringing retro power pop into the 21st century. Their third album finds them aiming for a bit more depth and generally finding it. (I'm still partial to Neko Case's solo work, though; she put on a fabulous show in town on Valentine's Day and will have a new CD "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" out on March 7.)

4. "Brandi Carlile": The year's best debut comes from a singer in her early twenties who looks like a teenager but sings with the voice of a woman whose seen enough for several lifetimes. "Closer To You" and "Thrown It All Away" are absolute gems.

3. Paul McCartney, "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard": Paul keeps things simple and straightforward, adopting the same approach that makes his 1970 debut still his best post-Beatles effort, and the result is arguably his strongest album since then, or at the very least matched only by 1989's "Flowers in the Dirt" and maybe one or two others. It's hard to believe that an album from a Beatle could sneak up on people, but here you go.

2. The Soundtrack of Our Lives, "Origin Vol. 1": When I saw them play at the Bowery Ballroom in March, a woman at my table said she described them to a friend as "stoner prog, but in a good way." That's a better description of TSOOL than anything I could come up with, so I'm going with it. They're fun and they rock, so why sweat the details?

1. Pina, "Guess You Got It": I've already reviewed this album in detail elsewhere, so I'll just say that Pina is wonderfully creative and distinct and has my two favorite CD's of the 00's to date. And she was also an extremely cooperative and fascinating interview subject to boot, for which I remain quite grateful.

Check out any and all of these performers if you get the chance. 2006 should get off to a flying start, with the Neko Case CD in March and the return of Värttinä, a Finnish band who've found themselves at or near the top of a lot of my year-end lists in the past, coming up on January 24. I plan on keeping quite busy. In the meantime, peace and good will to everybody everywhere.

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The Top 10 CD's of 2006