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Record review

Brandi Carlile — The Story

Brandi Carlile -- The Story

{4.8}

buy it!

{Columbia}

In the past few years, Brandi Carlile has become an interesting phenomenon in the Northwest. The 25 year-old singer from Ravensdale, Washington sells out her Seattle-area shows pretty quickly and she seems to be pretty big with the VH1/103.7 the Mountain crowd, but her second major label release plays it safe at every opportunity. This is the type of record that could flourish only on a major label averse to taking any risks.

This album is titled The Story; Carlile envisions herself as a folkie/country-esque storyteller in the tradition of Dylan, yet the songs here are thin and have been explored countless times previously. That’s normally a trait I celebrate in pop music (a glorious but vapid genre on the whole), but without the rose-colored filter of countless layers of production, there is little left.

There is nothing wrong with The Story, per se. It is a decent record. The songs are well written, well sung and well produced (by T Bone Burnett). The first song, “Late Morning Lullaby” would fit well in the “adult alternative” genre (which I think is for people who want to say they listen to something edgier than Celine Dion while reading magazines in the waiting room for the dentist).

Take, for example, the song “Turpentine.” It’s a first person account of losing someone due to your own alcoholism. The song sounds nice, is sung well, all that jazz and has a chorus of “it’s six AM and I’m all messed up.” The term “messed up,” to me at least, is a sanitized word that masks any actual emotion – like saying “fudge” if you hit your thumb with a hammer. I’m not (necessarily) advocating swearing, but there must be a stronger word that would fit with the song better.

Brandi Carlile won't make anyone forget solo female artists like Neko Case or Cat Power or Regina Spektor (all of whom have more distinct and stronger voices and write better songs). But, the record and Brandi Carlile's songs are easy to like. Would I prefer something more challenging? Of course, but I won’t automatically change the radio station if one of these songs comes on – but won’t give it much thought beyond that.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007
by ChrisB

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1   jessica said on July 16, 2007

you're actually an idiot, chrisb. get some intuition and look a little bit further. turpentine is not about alcoholism. think outside the box, it's not hard to figure out.

2   ChrisB said on July 16, 2007

Wow! This is quite the way to start a Monday morning. I get up at 4:30 in the morning, check my e-mail and TIG and I've already been called an idiot for something I wrote 6 weeks ago. I just re-read the lyrics and I still don't think I'm wrong - but even if I am (and that could certainly be possible), the song (or record, for that matter) doesn't automatically become better.

Or maybe I was just drunk when I wrote it.

3   RachelP said on September 21, 2007

I was googling reviews on this album just to see what people thought of it. The truth - even if it is a little late (6?? try 16!) and no one - drunk or sober - cares (except me at the moment because I am actually drunk) is that anyone from the northwest who *really* knows Brandi knows that 1. she is sort of mean and has an enormous ego and 2. this album is not very good. Not to say that it couldn't have been better or that she won't eventually make better ones. Her live rendition of 60 years on brings tears to my eyes.

She tossed this thing together haphazardly and it does not live up to its potential and is all in all, pretty forgettable. That is a fact.

Dude, why did TIG even review this album? And who tries to interpret songs with factual validity?

4   MarshaS said on July 13, 2010

ChrisB... your take on Turpentine is actually quite funny for many reasons. First of all, Brandi has said it was written to her brother when she was much younger, when they had a falling out. "These days WE go to waste LIKE wine that's turned to turpentine..." She is not talking about alcoholism, she's talking about a relationship that went from something good to something toxic. I am frightened by your inane assumptions, and your take on this album is reckless, to say the least. And to say that you would like something a little more challenging is rather hysterical, since you seem challenged by a song as easy to interpret as Turpentine. And to RachelP: Do you *really* know Brandi? What, did you hit on her when you were drunk, and she was "sort of mean," and showed her "enormous ego" by telling you to "f*** off"? I'm just curious. You people in the know can be so informative. Sober up and write a comment that makes sense next time. Thanks.

5   MarshaS said on July 13, 2010

RachelP: make sure you read the comment I wrote to ChrisB so you don't miss my comment to you. Thanks.

6   ChrisB said on July 14, 2010

I love when the Internet is there to remind me I was wrong more than three years ago.

7   Chris Estey said on July 14, 2010

DO YOU FINALLY UNDERSTAND NOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS?! DO YOU?! HUH?! DO YOU?! OMG I just can't get over it either. I am SOOOOO glad we brought up this ancient history because it is SO IMPORTANT. "Turpentine" is NOT alcohol!!! Why CAN'T you UNDERSTAND this?! We're just TRYING to HELP YOU!!! <3 <3 <3, Ms. Too-Much-Time-On-My-Hands

8   MarshaS said on July 14, 2010

ChrisB, you just have to understand that people are crazy about Brandi Carlile, first of all, and second of all, you need to be a much more informed reviewer. I review CDs all of the time and I try to be meticulous when doing so. I get my facts straight, and I don't blatantly misrepresent songs.

You also talk about the label playing it safe, about Brandi envisioning herself as a "folkie/countryesque" storyteller. I don't think Brandi envisions herself as anything other than a great singer who is learning to be a great songwriter. You really think she's trying to follow in the Dylan tradition? My goodness. I hear nothing in her writing to remotely suggest that! Her songs are earthy, easy to relate to, and if you think the songs on here are playing it safe, I would beg to differ. You have a ton of diversity here: "The Story," "Josephine," "Again Today," "Shadow On The Wall," etc. None shout "HIT" except for maybe the title track.

This is a record company that knows what its artist does well, and is letting her do it. This record is not as stunning as her debut, or her current CD, but it has some amazing stuff on it. You wrote it off as nothing edgier than Celine Dion??!!! That's not only insulting, it's LAZY writing. And your "I'm all messed up" comment is just moronic, and unenlightened.

Yes, we're trying to help you be a better writer, three years later, and if we're rabid about it, it's because you deserve the truth being thrown in your face with all of the intensity with which you threw sh** at this CD, and this singer, who is more interesting than Celine Dion, Neko Case, Cat Power and Regina Spektor COMBINED. Do your homework next time. You're allowed to have an opinion, just not a stupid one.

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