CD $12.33

If there was any flaw with Brandi Carlile's second album, The Story, it's that it was perhaps a touch too austere, painted in amber tones by producer T Bone Burnett. Its 2009 sequel, Give Up the Ghost, opens up and breathes, perhaps partially due to swapping T Bone for Rick Rubin, who retains the spooky, serious vibe but makes things a little less chilly. This isn't sealed off; there is room for guests here, including such L.A. linchpins as Benmont Tench and Red Hot Chili Pepper {$C...   [ read more ]

CD $11.38

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. Since she was a singer/songwriter playing an acoustic guitar, there were undoubtedly elements of folk, but Carlile's songwriting was elliptical and elastic, giving her plenty of room to indulge her powerful voice, a voice that had echoes of Jeff Buckley and Thom Yorke. This gave Brandi Carlile a spacey, dreamy quality, but for as good as it was, th...   [ read more ]

CD $7.59