Album Review: Brandi Carlile: The Firewatcher's Daughter

I'll admit, I wasn't a big Brandi Carlile fan when she first really broke on to the scene with her song "The Story". I don't know if it was just over played, something I wasn't interested in, or what. I didn't enjoy the song, didn't enjoy her music, that was that.

Oops.

Over the last couple of years I've really started to like her music. The Americana-Rock style she sings in with the amazing harmonies one that I really love. The story telling her in lyrics is incredible. Her and the Twins (Phil and Tim Hanseroth) ability to make such amazing music is great.

I got to see them perform at the Wits show taped on February 27th (side bar: if you've never been to a Wits show, go. You will laugh. Hard. It will hurt you laugh so hard. It's just an awesome time) and as a special treat we were able to buy a copy of her new album, The Firewatcher's Daughter, at the show and not wait until it was released on March 3rd. I grabbed a copy and listened to it a few times over the next couple of days.

While talking about the album, Brandi mentioned that it was a bit of a departure from some of her other work and had more of a rock feel to it. If that's the case, I don't really hear it. It still has that great Americana feel to it, strong, driving percussive guitars, and beautiful melodies and harmonies that carry throughout it.

The two songs on the album that venture closer to rock, Mainstream Kid and The Stranger At My Door are both good songs. I was expecting more songs like these given how she described the album.

The first single of the album,Wherever Is Your Heart, is a great lead track. It really sets the tone of the album well and gets you in the mindset that this album is going to move.

I can't really pick a favorite track off of this one, there are so many that a great. The Eye, The Things I Regret, Wilder. all of them. It's an album that tells a story of being with somebody and being happy and getting through together.

It's a great album and one I'd highly recommend to buy. For a different review, check out Bill DeVille's over at The Current, who picked this as their Album of the Week.