November 17, 2009

Brandi Carlile - "Dreams"

The first time I heard Brandi Carlile sing was in 2005 at a small advertising firm in New York City. Playing for about 30 or so creatives and ad persons in a conference room, Carlile's voice lit up the space with an explosion of unexpected sound, nearly rendering her and fellow bandmates Tim and Phil Hanseroth's acoustic guitars useless. It was a lot of noise from such a little person—and a beautifully battered sound at that, especially during her cover of Ray LaMontagne's "Jolene."

On her latest record, Carlile gets the Rick Rubin treatment as well as guest appearances from experienced talents like Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench. But what drives this record to its greatest moments is the same formula that has worked for Carlile all along: gut-wrenching vocal delivery teamed with the Hanseroth twins' timely harmonies and occasional songwriting contributions, the latter of which leads to the album's best song—"Dreams."

Brandi Carlile - "Dreams" (from Give Up The Ghost)

Buy it at Insound!Brandi Carlile

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