Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 12, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Red Int / Red Ink
• ASIN: B0009U5FZ6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,563 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Authentic. That's the first word that springs to mind when you encounter Brandi Carlile. From her rootsy bell-clear voice to the palpable emotion that seeps through every song on her stunning debut album, everything about this 23-year-old from rural Washington state is the real deal.

Deeply driven to be an artist, Carlile's life-long love affair with performing began when her musician mother brought her out onstage at the Northwest's version of the Grand Ole Opry. Carlile sang Roseanne Cash's "Tennessee Flat-Top Box". She was 8.

Growing up in the isolated foothills of Ravensdale, 50 miles outside of Seattle, Carlile turned to music for company. "Ravensdale wasn't a town," she says. "We were the only house around for acres and acres. Being in the middle of nowhere, it wasn't the kind of place you brought friends back to, so I just hung around the woods and built forts and played music with my brother and sister. That's all we did. And we thought that's what everyone else in the world did, too."

During those years, Carlile taught herself to sing. "I locked myself in my room when no one was home to see how loud and high I could sing, and how long I could hold a note," she says. "I'm sure it sounded like mating season, but I knew that's what it would take to develop a big, powerful voice." She also figured out how to play the piano ("I wanted to be like Elton John") and eventually guitar at age 17.

From then on, Carlile performed everywhere she could. She even took a job as a back-up singer for a local Elvis impersonator, an experience she credits with teaching her how to layer vocals and sing harmonies. A few years later, Carlile began to book herself and her band (Seattle natives and twin brothers Tim and Phil Hanseroth) at restaurants around the city--the local chowder house, a popular sports bar and grill, and at any wedding or birthday party that would hire her, just so she could practice.

"I've never had a real job," she says. "I've insisted that I do nothing but play music and not let my head go anywhere else. If that means playing in a smoky bar for three hours, five nights a week, that's fine. It's discipline. It teaches you how to grab your audience, no matter who they are."

Carlile's determination and work ethic paid off in late 2004 when she signed with Columbia Records, home to several of her favorite artists, including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, Janis Joplin, and James Taylor, whom she has shared a stage with. The timeless quality of her debut album for Columbia, Brandi Carlile, is proof of her intention to become a classic artist alongside her labelmates.

The album is a showcase for Carlile's expressive voice, which can turn from a tough, bluesy growl to a vulnerable, aching falsetto on a dime. The catch in her throat before she launches into those alpine high notes is reminiscent of her idol, country singer Patsy Cline.

"Patsy Cline had a really gutsy, powerful voice," she says. "I identify with that. I've gone through all sorts of vocal phases, from pop to blues to R&B, but no matter what I do, I just can't get the country & western out of my voice."

Rather than fight it, Carlile makes good use of the country flavor by juxtaposing it with dark, otherworldly melodies on songs like "Follow" and "Tragedy". Think of a female Roy Orbison or Radiohead's Thom Yorke fronting a roots-rock band and you're not far off. The contrast led Rolling Stone, which named her one of their 10 Artists to Watch in 2005, to declare: "Carlile's ethereal, melancholy ballads have a spare heartache that reflects her love for old-school country...but she loves new-school mopers like Radiohead and Jeff Buckley just as much". Indeed, those artists' influence can be felt on the simple, acoustic strummers "Happy", "Gone" and "Tragedy". Other musical stand-outs include "Throw It All Away" and "Fall Apart Again".

The ten sublime gems on Brandi Carlile were recorded sporadically throughout 2004 in Seattle, some at Carlile's home in bucolic Maple Valley, Washington. "I live in a log cabin and the ceilings are really high, so it sounds great," she says. "We rented a Pro-tools set-up and put it smack in the middle of my living room." Some of the unadorned production comes courtesy of indie-stalwart producer John Goodmanson, who has worked with Sleater-Kinney and Blonde Redhead, and the rest was driven by Carlile and the twins. "We just went in and played the songs," she says. "It interrupted my whole world for weeks, but we made some really good music."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't stop listening to it, July 18, 2005

By 

J. Cummings "artgeekseattle" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brandi Carlile (Audio CD)

I hope people don't start getting suspicious about all these glowing reviews from Brandi's home town. I'm really not a relative or friend of hers. In fact, I had never heard of Brandi Carlile until an article was written about her last week in the local paper. On a whim (and the fact that she looks adorable on the cover) I picked it up and was completely blown away by her amazing talent. She's a little bit Bonnie Raitt, a little bit Indigo Girls and a little bit KD Lang. But she's all original. Her voice is wonderful and listening to her gives you chills the first time you hear her. I just wish the CD were a little longer since I'm finding myself listening to it 2 or 3 times a day. I can't wait for more from this talented young lady. She's destined for stardom.

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really, REALLY good, October 13, 2005

By 

P. Sherman (Greenville, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brandi Carlile (Audio CD)

I got tired of all my music CDs and so I went looking for more. Assorted searches on Amazon and following the leads for "customers who bought this title also bought..." brought me to Brandi Carlile's CD. I'd never heard of her, and the cover photo was a bit misleading (when it arrived, my husband asked if I was now buying punk music), but I ordered this based on the snippets of song samples--they sounded like what I was looking for.

As another reviewer stated, I can't stop listening to it. I bought several female vocalist CDs in a period of about a week, but this is the music I always reach for. Every song is great on its own, and the more you hear them and get to know them, the better they get.

Buy this CD!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars On the rise, February 27, 2006

By 

TMac "TMac" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brandi Carlile (Audio CD)

A strong debut. Clear voiced. I always appreciate substance over flash. Every song is a pleasant listen, but it is the songs that are a little more pared down--those that the record execs probably view as less-commercial--that showcase her range and talent. Would prefer more than 10 cuts/37 mins. But perhaps this is the most compelling point; the disc was over and I wasn't ready to be done listening to her. Recently, I had the opportunity to see/hear her in a small venue. She exceded my expectations.