Brandi Carlile - The Firewatcher's Daughter (2015)

For her fifth studio album Brandi Carlile decided it was time for a change. Her subject matter remains the same, she still writes about missing her youth, family, friends, and how much they all mean to her. The difference is how these subjects are presented. On The Firewatcher's Daughter the veteran but still young artist continues to record songs with folk inclinations but she also rocks like never before and the album has a looser feel to it because everything was recorded in one take. Nothing was over rehearsed.

The twelve song album still has the Hanseroth twins by Carlile's side and they serve once again as full collaborators, not just as prominent sidemen in her band. The trio composes together and separately sharing writing credits almost equally. The only area in which the star dominates is vocally. She continues to be the lead voice on all of the songs and is the dominant personality and frontwoman of her domain.

"Mainstream Kid" has a definite punk influence and "Blood, Muscle, Skin & Bone" is loud but contains enough hooks to pull the listener into the singer's world. "The Stranger At My Door" is another rocker (it's the song where the CD's title comes from) and it descends into 60s style feedback in the coda, another very unusual touch from this pensive artist. "Things I Regret," with the great line "You can only remember what you want to forget," demands to be added to the playlists of radio stations who thrive on Americana. "The Eye," ("You can dance in a hurricane but only if you're standing in the eye") with beautiful three part harmonies is one of the album's highlights. "I Belong to You" is a straight acoustic love song and the album closes with a very moving cover of The Avett Brothers' "Murder In The City."

Fortunately, instead of playing it safe, Carlile altered her sound before her records became stale and as a result she created another excellent piece of work. For those of you who don't relish change there is still enough acoustic material and singer-songwriter rock to keep you happy.

Comments

Post a Comment

WHAT'S HOT TODAY!

Slower Than Slow: 16 RPM Records

Image
Have you ever heard of a long forgotten vinyl format, the 16 2/3 RPM record? They were half the speed of the 33 1/3 RPM albums that were the traditional standard for recorded music. Most record players in the 1950s and 1960s came with a speed setting to play these long forgotten discs that were considered novelties even during the years they were available. Because most, but not all, 16s had big holes and were 7" in diameter many of them were mistaken for 45 RPMs and at that size the speed allowed for up to 20 minutes of playing time per side. However, there was no true standard size and they were also manufactured to be 9, 10, or 12 inches in diameter and these larger records played even longer. Just like the other speeds and formats 16s could be played one record at a time or stacked on a changer for continuous play. Radio stations often used the discs for pre-recorded radio shows containing interviews, dramas, and documentaries. More frequent
Read more

The Late Dickey Betts Discusses How Jimmy Carter's Friendship With The Allman Brothers Band Helped The Candidate Win The 1976 Presidential Election

Image
Below is a music related tribute I originally wrote for President Jimmy Carter over a year ago when he first entered hospice care in February 2023. I expected it would only be a short time until he passed. When he didn't, I decided to save it until October 1, 2024 to celebrate his 100th birthday should he make it to that milestone.  However, with today's unhappy news about the passing of Dickey Betts (1943 - 2024) I decided it is time to finally post the article because the great second guitarist of The Allman Brothers Band is quoted in it. Betts' most famous songs with the outstanding sextet are "Revival," "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," "Blue Sky," and of course,  "J essica," and  "Ramblin' Man." Because most blogs and websites will likely post more traditional news stories and tributes, I hope this essay serves as something a little different and as an homag
Read more

It's Real Life: An Alternate History Of The Beatles - A Short Story, Radio Play And Full Length Novel By Paul Levinson (2022 and 2024)

Image
In a July 2023 blog post I discussed an alternate history of the most famous rock band of all time. It's Real Life: An Alternate History Of The Beatles was written in 2022 as a short story and radio play by Professor Paul Levinson of Fordham University. Since then, the author has expanded it into a full length novel that includes his original story as chapter one. Below my original post you'll find a link to a fascinating  podcast where Levinson discussed his book with NBC's Chuck Todd followed by an  intriguing  email question and answer session that Levinson graciously gave to Bloggerhythms. _______________________________________ In 2005, novelist, playwright and rock musician, Larry Kirwan - best known as the leader of New York City's renowned Celtic-rock band, Black 47  - used his vivid imagination to write  Liverpool Fantasy , a novel about what could have happened to each of the four Beatles if they hadn't hit the big
Read more

Why Do 45 RPM Records Have Big Holes?

Image
Today we're going to find out why 45 RPM records have much larger holes than 78s and 33s. Believe it or not I often wondered about this burning question when I was collecting hundreds of these little seven inch gems back the 1960s. According to several websites, including Answerbag , the reason for the large hole used by 45s was simple. It was difficult for the old 78s, with their smaller holes, to find their way onto jukebox spindles. The large hole effectively eliminated that problem. Strangely, seven inch 45s were often pressed with the smaller holes used for LPs in many countries outside the United States, especially in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Overseas the inserts (commonly know as spiders) were manufactured into the large holes at the factories but they could be punched out if desired. The Beatles' British single of "Love Me Do," pictured here, is a typical example. Why were the spiders built into English 45s? I was unable to fi
Read more

Last Albums: Eagles - Long Road Out Of Eden (2007)

Image
Long Road Out Of Eden made me realize just how much I missed the Eagles. Throughout the 70s my favorite Eagle, Glen Frey, his good friend Don Henley, and all of their various bandmates created a classic sound that with the exception of  The Long Run  -   their last full length studio album during their original run of popularity - never wore out its welcome. Readers of this article will have to understand that I came to this double CD set back in 2007 not knowing what to expect and I'm happy to report that I wasn't disappointed. The Eagles' vocal harmonies are perfect as usual and so is their classic 70s sound that was loved by so many of us. Long Road Out Of Eden 's back story was chronicled in many news publications around the world. The group sold millions of copies of the CD through their exclusive deal with Walmart - the only brick and mortar retailer allowed to sell it when it was officially released. The album sold well despite heavy c
Read more