The Story

Brandi Carlile’s second release, *The Story*, clearly announces the arrival of a big talent. Her songwriting is accomplished, ambitious, and unabashedly emotional, and she puts it across with her huge voice—clear, strong, and passionate. Tastefully produced by T-Bone Burnett, the overall sound is spacious and warm, with subtle ambient touches added for extra texture. Even the relatively stripped-down tunes like “Josephine” and “Downpour” come across as lushly layered. She also rocks several powerchord anthems, particularly the fist-pumping title track, on which she kicks into vocal overdrive for one of the album’s more memorable and intense moments.

One of the most appealing qualities of Brandi Carlile's debut album was that it had an ethereal quality, unattached to style or sound or time.

Brandi Carlile - The Story review: Brandi Carlile shows potential on an album that saitsfies vocally, but has some rough patches song-wise.