Customer Rating: 
Summary: Amazing voice, expression, and songwriting...
Comment: Wow! What a voice! I was driving along in the car when I first heard "The Story" on the local radio station. Wow. Like with so many other great voices or great songs I have heard for the first time- "Yellow", "Creep", "Linger", "Constant Craving", "Somersault", "What I Am", "White Flag", and "Finally Woken" to name a few- I cranked up the radio, turned the car around, and headed for the nearest record store, and bought every copy of "The Story" for my friends. From the gut-wrenching knowing passion of "Story", I was really expecting to see some worn-out, chain-smoking, Joplinesque, "gin-soaked bar-room queen" on the album cover. What a surprise to see a very attractive young woman, with such a powerful and expressive voice, with tremendous untapped potential just waiting in reserve.
Brandi Carlile has a quality in her melodic voice, sweetly nimble fingers, and catchy songwriting that conveys the sense of real life experiences, with a purity and honesty not heard often enough. I have read descriptions of her voice in the last measures of "The Story" as crackling or edgy, but to me her voice is freely expressive, like a great guitar solo, or a Kurt Cobain message, pushed to the limits. No apologies. What matters so much more than a perfect performance is what we feel inside when we hear the notes. She has something to say, and you will know without a doubt her message comes straight from her gut. She can belt it out, and she can melt your heart in the same song.
Every song on this record is truly wonderful in their own way, and the first three tracks are priceless, thanks to this powerhouse team of songwriters. I played this record over and over, until the break of dawn. "Turpentine" gave me the same shivers I felt when I first heard "Teen Spirit"- a raw anthem to each of our realities. "Shadow on
The Wallb" is another beautiful hidden gem, where she accepts the situation, and does not try to change the world or anyone in it. She simply creates her own solution to the problem. This song is anything but "sad", as I have heard it described. In fact, I find it refreshing. I believe this talented and gifted artist has a long and successful career ahead of her, and I am looking forward to hearing more great music from her and the band.
