If there was any flaw with Brandi Carlile's second album, The Story, it's that it was perhaps a touch too austere, painted in amber tones by producer T Bone Burnett.
Its 2009 sequel, Give Up the Ghost, opens up and breathes, perhaps partially due to swapping T Bone for Rick Rubin, who retains the spooky, serious vibe but makes things a little less chilly.
This isn't sealed off; there is room for guests here, including such L.A.
linchpins as Benmont Tench and Red Hot Chili Pepper Chad Smith, but also Elton John and his arranger, Paul Buckmaster.
Tellingly, their presence is felt more than heard, as they never remove the spotlight from Carlile, who remains a singularly powerful singer/songwriter.
When things are Spartan, her voice is haunting and gripping, wrenching out operatic emotions, but Give Up the Ghost trumps The Story because she allows herself to lighten up, to rock again on "Dreams" and jump into the rollicking "Caroline," which does indeed recall the barrelhouse jaunt of Honky Chateau.
Carlile still prefers sobriety to levity but it never feels affected; it's music that gets under your skin and cuts to the bone.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Looking OutBrandi Carlile | Brandi Carlile | Play | 04:17 | 9 MB | 31 MB |
| 2 | Dying DayTim Hanseroth | Brandi Carlile | Play | 03:31 | 8 MB | 25 MB |
| 3 | Pride and JoyBrandi Carlile | Brandi Carlile | Play | 04:20 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 4 | DreamsBrandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth | Brandi Carlile | Play | 03:32 | 8 MB | 23 MB |
| 5 | That YearBrandi Carlile | Brandi Carlile | Play | 03:35 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 6 | CarolineBrandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth | Brandi Carlile | Play | 03:36 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 7 | Before it BreaksBrandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth | Brandi Carlile | Play | 03:56 | 9 MB | 24 MB |
| 8 | I WillBrandi Carlile | Brandi Carlile | Play | 04:08 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 9 | If There Was No YouBrandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth | Brandi Carlile | Play | 02:39 | 6 MB | 14 MB |
| 10 | Touching the GroundTim Hanseroth | Brandi Carlile | Play | 03:16 | 7 MB | 21 MB |
| 11 | Oh DearBrandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth | Brandi Carlile | Play | 02:50 | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| 39 mins | 91 MB | |||||
| 39 mins | 255 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neal Avron | Mixing |
| 2 | Brandi Carlile | Banjo, Composer, Guitar, Piano, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 3 | Jesse Carmichael | Mellotron |
| 4 | Lenny Castro | Percussion |
| 5 | Gibb Droll | Dobro, Slide Guitar |
| 6 | Martin Feveyear | Engineer |
| 7 | Phil Hanseroth | Bass, Bass (Upright), Composer, Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Percussion, Ukulele, Vocals, Whistle |
| 8 | Tim Hanseroth | Composer, Drums, Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Percussion, Vocals |
| 9 | Ryan Hewitt | Mixing |
| 10 | Jacob Hoffman | Piano |
| 11 | Victor Indrizzo | Drums, Percussion |
| 12 | Elton John | Piano, Vocals |
| 13 | Josh Neumann | Cello |
| 14 | Jason Lader | Engineer, Mixing, Producer, Synthesizer |
| 15 | Bill Mims | Mixing |
| 16 | Amy Ray | Vocals |
| 17 | Chad Smith | Drums, Percussion |
| 18 | Benmont Tench | Organ, Piano |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |