THE STORY - BRANDI CARLILE
Following the release of her much-lauded 2005 debut, Carlile toured incessantly, wowing crowds with her raw, emotive vocals and powerful songs. Distilling the live energy of these shows, her sophomore set adds bigger guitars and more spot-on vocal harmonies, sung by “the Twins,” guitarist Tim and bassist Phil Hanseroth. Standouts like “My Song” or “Until I Die” suggest a female Jeff Buckley fronting a tightly knit rock band, and Carlile’s old-soul alto reveals beautiful cracks on the soaring title track, a confession wise beyond her 24 years. Elsewhere, there are small, acoustic ballads (”Turpentine,” “Josephine”); the Indigo Girls guest on the pastoral “Cannonball.” As produced by T Bone Burnett, “The Story” brims with melody and feels warm, rich and immediate. A powerful statement by an artist to watch who is going her own way. Billboard
