Columbia Records holds a special place in my heart after I interned with them this past summer so I trust their instincts in picking new talent. Brandi Carlile, a 23-year-old singer/ songwriter must have enticed them with her country western-sounding voice because her self-titled debut album was completed under their watch. Her songs consist of melancholy ballads that tell of heartache with straightforward lyrics and basic instrumentals. Brandi’s main attraction is her solid voice that can switch from being deep and bluesy-sounding to falsetto and vulnerable. Every song on her 10-track album sounds the same with the record’s mellow, drawn-out, folk songs making me question Columbia’s pick on this one. Brandi is comparable to a female version of Jeff Buckley or a darker sounding Sheryl Crow. She sounds exactly as she describes herself; an authentic girl living among nature in an isolated cabin with only with her dog and an acoustic guitar. If you’re a fan of the old school country and indie sound, Brandi is just right for you.
Archived article by Megan Altman
Sun Contributor