Customer Reviews

The Story

5 star:		(126)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Brandi Carlile's second CD starts with a song that pretty much positions her for the knowing listener. That is, if you like Melissa Etheridge and Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris --- smart, sensitive singer-songwriters who can shout as well as whisper --- you're going to like this singer-songwriter too.

That is, she's pleasant. Accomplished. But derivative. And, thus, hardly essential.

The second song --- the title song --- begins. It's written by one of the twin brothers who are Carlile's house band. It rocks a little harder, and then, at 2 minutes and 56 seconds, it returns to its opening:

All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to
It's true...I was made for you

And as Brandi Carlile delivers those lines, something happens that I can't recall occurring for donkey's years. The singer doesn't "sing" the first few lines. She explodes out of your speakers. Looks you right in the eye. And flat-out screams.

Do you shiver? I did. And I'm the guy who likes a lot of emotion.

From there on, Brandi Carlile was as necessary to my life as caffeine. "I started losing sleep and gaining weight/And wishing I was ten again/So I could be your friend again." There's stuff like that in every song.

Thirteen songs. Love songs, all. If, that is, you define love as living in each other's guts, or trying to get there, or wondering why you're not there any more. I adore authenticity, but this is more of it than I'm used to --- to pay attention to every song on this CD is to be forced to compare Carlile's emotional resources with your own.

But this CD is in no way harrowing. Carlile and her friends may slit a vein before they write, but as a piece of music, "The Story" is very pleasing. For every shout there's a gorgeous trill. For every heavy lyric, there's a clever melody. And for every heartache, there's a notion like "Your friends are never gone/if you look to the sky and pray."

It is entirely possible to listen to Brandi Carlile and think: up-and comer, pleasant voice, nice songs, great in the car and at parties. I hope I get there soon. For now, at 2:56 of "The Story," the world stops and a woman I'll never meet gets in my face to tell me what love costs. And whatever I'm doing, I honor her with my full attention.

Brandi Carlile faces a dilemma and I bet she knows it. She's a little bit alternative, a little bit folk and a little bit country. This pretty much guarantees that mainstream radio, with it's segregated programming and lack of imagination, will probably ignore her. While she's certainly young and cute enough, she does'nt gyrate on stage and croon about her bedroom which means MTV will have no use for her either. Well, radio aand MTV's loss is our gain because Brandi Carlile might just have the most expressive and beautiful voice I've heard in a long time. I was blown away by the first song I heard from this album on a free sampler CD. It was the title track "The Story". What impressed me was Brandi's sudden launch into a harder edged rock sound, her powerful vocals almost cathartic. I was curious and maybe a bit apprehensive about whether the entire album would have the same sound. Well, I should have known better. Brandi is NOT one dimensional. This new CD picks up where her debut left off. It alternates between heartfelt ballads, Americana and midtempo rock ("Cannonball" being a particular favorite). The copyright dates on the songs are from 2001 through 2006 so this may be a collection of road-tested "trunk songs" i.e. songs Brandi and the twins have been playing live for a long time now. Regardless, Brandi Carlile can sing the birds out of the trees. Honestly, her voice is so mesmerizing and her use of it so artful that you have to wonder why she's not the top selling female artist in the country. As evidenced by the strength of her two CD's, I'd say Brandi's got a long and legendary career ahead of her.
Now I know what you're thinking, why not 5 stars then? Well look.... I'd give REVOLVER 5 stars...I'd give PET SOUNDS 5 stars, know what I mean?

Brandi Carlile has been on the periphery of my radar for a few months now, and The Story has permanently converted me to one of the faithful. I keep playing the title track over and over again, just can't get this song out of my head. The sheer emotional power rips through your soul like an out-of-control freight train, stirring up heartache, lost love and painful past memories -- yet is healing and bittersweet all at once. And when the Hanseroth twins double-barrel power chords come crashing in on the chorus, the song just plain shreds. This ain't no bubblegum pop. The talent, wisdom, loss, torment and life experience present in her vocals contradicts her 23 years, and it appears that she has successfully channeled the spirit of Patsy Cline for a new generation. Thank you Brandi, I sincerely wish you a long and rewarding career. And for all of you listeners hungry for something different, do yourself a favor and buy this album right now -- as well as her excellent debut.

It never ceases to amaze me just how many fine singer/songwriters (particularly female artists) continue to emanate from the United States and Canada - it must be something to do with the North American psyche; 'The Story' is yet another outstanding example of this genre.

This album is described as 'live' - but this doesn't mean 'live in front of an audience', it means 'studio live' (i.e. without any post-recording electronic enhancements to 'paper over the cracks'); but fear not, it is almost 'perfect' without such embellishments and, anyway, this gives the music a very natural and authentic feel.

The general mood of the album is introspective and sombre (but not excessively so) and, if the album has any weakness, I'd say it was the lack of variability in mood. There is a mixture of slow to mid-tempo songs and, although there are no up-tempo songs to speak of, all have captivating, lilting melodies to ensure that the the album doesn't sound dour and gloomy. Instrumental accompaniment, on most tracks, combines semi-acoustic passages with the further addition of electric guitars and keyboards in others, and a couple of tracks also feature cello. Guitar accompaniment is provided by BC's longtime musical cohorts - Phil and Tim Hanseroth (plus BC herself on acoustic guitar). The smooth and rich harmony vocals also come courtesy of the 'twins' and BC (and, the 'Indigo Girls' on 'Cannonball').

BC has a wonderfully clear and resonant voice with just a hint of grittiness; it's a unique voice also - with traces of Patsy Cline, Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris (but with an 'earthier' texture than any of these singers - other reviewers have made comparisons with Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Nicks). There is a lot of 'slow burning' passion and intensity about her singing which frequently features controlled changes in pitch (something that would be difficult to achieve for a lesser singer) - I think the comparison with Roy Orbison, made by at least one other reviewer, is very apt. It isn't easy to categorize her music - 'americana' with a slight 'indie' edge on some tracks, perhaps ?


I liked all of the tracks, here are some brief comments about selected ones (songwriters in brackets); please bear in mind that any comments about the lyrics are my personal interpretations only - they are not meant to be prescriptive :

LATE MORNING LULLABY (Brandi Carlile) - A song about shunning the 'real world' and seeking refuge in dreams. The song has a more 'poppy' character (and I mean this in a positive way) than most others.

THE STORY (Phil Hanseroth) - Reflections on a love lost and the loneliness that ensues. BC's voice breaks when changing pitch before the final chorus, but who cares ? - a minor flaw in some 50 minutes worth of otherwise quality music from a quality singer (and remember, this is a 'studio live' album).

MY SONG (Brandi Carlile) - A song with lyrics about having regrets for past mistakes made; without a doubt, this is an emotionally highly-charged song (the last verse in particular, when BC really bares her soul and 'gives it all she's got'). There's some amazing percussion also, towards the end of this song.

HAVE YOU EVER (Phil Hanseroth) - A gentle song with a very 'folksy' sound and a somewhat 'lighter' mood.

JOSEPHINE (Tim Hanseroth & Brandi Carlile) - A forlorn love song; features acoustic guitar and very subdued bass - no percussion; sublime harmony vocals. A song which is exquisite in it's simplicity.

AGAIN TODAY (Brandi Carlile) - For the first 3 minutes or so, this is a quiet song featuring synthesizers warbling and humming away in the background. After this, the sound becomes more strident as pulsating electric guitars 'kick in' - the effect is very dramatic. Although the track registers at 10:40, 'Again Today' is just under 5 minutes long; at 7 minutes into the track, a 'hidden' song commences (I think it's called 'Hiding My Heart').


If you like the music of any of the other artists mentioned in this review or, if you like some of the more contemporary 'alt-folk/alt-country' music that is surfacing these days, then I recommend that you, at least, give this album a listen. BC is virtually unknown in the UK and I don't know how popular she is in the US, so I can't be sure whether this album would have a wide appeal or not; I'd describe it as 'grown up music for grown ups' - I'm a 'grown up' (although my wife might sometimes dispute this) and it certainly appeals to me; 4.5 stars.

The first time I listened to this CD, I fell in love with it! It's absolutely fabulous, even better than her self-titled album. This album is a little country, a little folk and a little rock/pop. I would normally list all of my favorite songs, but in this case there are just too many! Brandi Carlile is very talented. What a voice she has and the lyrics to her songs are fantastic. Obviously, I can't say enough about "The Story". If you enjoyed her first album, you will surely love this one. Why this girl is not more well-known, I don't know!

It's always nice to buy a singer/songwriter album now and then after hearing that overproduced radio-friendly rock that's come out lately. When expressions like "taking the band to the next level", "most heaviest but our most melodic" and the favorite "this is our best record ever", it gets a little...familiar. Enter someone with just a guitar and a voice and all seems right in music land. So it's nice to pick up a record like Brandi Carlile's sophomore album "The Story" and you feel good that you're discovering a new talent.

The album begins with "Late Morning Lullaby", folk/rock with Brandi's voice belting out the chorus. A friend said she sounded like Shania Twain at times (especially the prechorus) but it's obvious this one's better at singing. The title track is one of the highlights of the disc with it starting out fairly minimilist and quiet before it picks up and Brandi showcases that voice of hers. It helps that the more grittier guitars come in as well but not overdoing it, helping the emotion of the singing rather than bury it.

"My Song", with its U2-esque guitar line and big chorus is another standout on the record with its more rockier tone. "Have You Ever" is also another nice track with a bluegrass kind of feel and multiple voices going on during the chorus. Another one of the standouts even though it's not as loud as The Story is "Cannonball" which is predominantly acoustic-based with Brandi dueting with another singer. You can almost imagine the smoke-filled tavern on this one. The last stretch kind of run together. It's not that their bad songs, it's just that they follow a similar tempo and arrangements and it's hard to differentiate them unless you listen to one for awhile.

It's great to see emerging talents right as their talent/recognition starts to develop. Most of the time you always catch artists who've been around for awhile and already on her 2nd record, Brandi Carlile is one to watch out for...here's hoping she doesn't pull a Nelly Furtado and goes all sex bomb on us. Jeez.

I'll admit it. I'm a huge Brandi Carlile Band fan and as far as I'm concerned, they can do no wrong. But I didn't buy this cd with the idea that I would automatically love it. I've listened to older versions of these songs dozens if not hundreds of times before. Of the new versions, some of the arrangements are different and some of the lyrics have changed; I wasn't sure if I would like them or not. The great news is that I truly love this new album. I think the band made excellent choices in their material and in the changes that they made.

I am flat-out obsessed with the song 'Josephine'. I can't get over how beautifully simple it is. 'Cannonball' and 'Again Today' and 'My Song' are also favorites, but honestly, I can't say which song is my absolute favorite since nearly every single one of them has been my favorite at one time or another.

In my opinion, one of the best things about this album is that it more accurately reflects the band's live sound. Not many bands can sound as good, if not better than their album but this band does it every single time. Their talent simply blows me away.

Brandi Carlile's second album takes you like a tropical storm and settles you to a poetic calm. The title track "The Story" is sang like an anthem, when she wails ". . . all the lines on my face tells the story tells you the story of who I am. . . " you get shivers. She has such a powerful voice.
This is a great second album and is consistently fantastic like her debut. From the first track "Late Morning Lullaby" to "Have You Ever," this CD is very much country- folk infused with the strong vitality of vintage rock and roll. Its an impressive sophomore effort. Most of the songs are written by Carlile with her famous cohorts, the Hanseroth twins contributing intermitently. They also are provide all the musical instrumentations. It's an impressive feat, so one must wonder is Brandi putting out too much, too early at such a young age, will she continue to be creative and exiciting? Lets enjoy "The Story" and ponder this later.

Brandi's sophomore album, The Story, is proof positive that this band is well on their way to a happy ending! What is surely a match made in heaven, Brandi Carlile and her identical twin counterparts and songwriting soulmates (Tim and Phil Hanseroth) have crafted an album that exposes a soul that is much older and wiser than Brandi's 25 years. While her debut album was well-received The Story reaches deep to expose a vulnerability and willingness to wear her heart on her sleeve. Flanked by flawless twin harmonies, Brandi's voice paints a picture that is refreshingly imperfect and one that we all identify with. T-Bone Burnett's approach to recording this album lends itself perfectly to the underlying rawness often heard in Brandi's voice - especially during her live shows. Brandi and the Twins are well on their way...fueled by an integrity and wisdom that is sorely lacking in today's music.

Brandi Carlile is one of my favorite singers ever. With a voice that has the resonance of Patsy Cline and with a slight croon, she never fails to convey any emotion she wants to get across. I think The Story improves on her already fabulous debut album. There's the more contemporary "My Song," the country-ish "The Story," the traditional folk of "Have You Ever," and spare but catchy ballads like "Turpentine." Her rootsiness sometimes explodes into an almost punk guitar attack, giving her more of an edge. The lyrics don't let that voice down, either. Very highly recommended!