For those who don’t know Brandi, the American singer-songwriter, producer, and queer icon has set herself apart with her distinctive blend of folk, rock, and country-pop genres. Most famously known for her songs “The Joke”, “Turpentine”, and “The Story”, her vulnerability and storytelling has brought her success within the folk genre for the past 2 decades. Her best-selling breakthrough album, The Story (2007), brought Carlile huge success in her career, and prompted 7 more albums, 11 Grammy awards, and 2 Emmy awards. Needless to say, Carlile’s success was palpable, and her noteworthy friendships with Joni Mitchell, Elton John, and many other stars inspired her to collaborate on her co-written album with Elton, Who Believes In Angels Anyways (2024).
Aside from her musical success, Brandi Carlile is undoubtedly an LGBTQ+ icon, and her coming out story in 2005 presented clear challenges for her in the industry. Carlile’s continued work in activism and advocacy allowed her to co-create the Looking Out Foundation to support queer communities and fund HIV care for queer youth. Now, Carlile celebrates her long-awaited 8th solo album, showing a new side to her own story, exploring the themes of mortality, political activism, and a new chapter of her life. As a huge fan of her music, this album was refreshing and raw, and I hope you find some clarity in Carlile’s timely messages.
#1: “Returning To Myself”
First written as a poem, the song simply encapsulates the feeling of coming back around to yourself after a long time away. The sentiment is clear that Carlile feels nostalgia for who she once was, but also the weight of loneliness for the time that has passed since she knew that person. The struggle Carlile describes is relatable to every one of us: that at the end of the day sometimes the only person you have is yourself, so sometimes coming back to yourself is also coming back to your person, or the things that you love. To me this song is a letter to be returned when you’re older and wiser, a reminder to give yourself grace in the passing of time. This song has been on repeat for me every morning, and the first song of the album is always there for a reason, so if it’s #1 for Brandi it’s #1 for me.
#2: “Human”
Written in the midst of the 2024 election, “Human” acknowledges the politics of being alive, especially in a time of so much uncertainty. This song is an affirmation that sometimes the best we can do is take a breath and move forward. Using our voices in activism is only part of the message, and we have to somehow find a balance between our desires to feel humanity and the lack of humanness we see in the world right now. Carlile grasps our inherent want to be good to each other, and this song feels like talking to someone that just understands you. Carlile’s classic lyric, “I don’t need to see how it ends”, is a clear reference to her well-known song “The Joke”, and if you listen carefully many of the songs on this album contain recognizable callbacks to chord progressions and lyrics from some of her most famous songs, which are noteworthy “easter eggs” for long-time fans.
I love how direct and understanding Carlile is in these first two album songs (“Returning To Myself” and “Human”), where her ballads of authenticity continue to speak volumes about her maturity as a person and a writer. The emphasis in this song is partially on the freedom of being alive, and how sometimes being human isn’t defined by our huge acts of rebellion, but instead looking into the “wildfire sun” or simply feeling what we feel. This song is a close second to “Returning To Myself”.
#3: “Church and State”
A surprisingly rock and roll twist from what I assumed was the original intent of the album, Carlile comes in at full force in this song. This live performance version features Brandi belting fiery connotative lyrics, letting loose the anger we should collectively be feeling that our foundational rights are being jeopardized, especially the right to practice religion as a separate act from our government. This call to action is powerful, and I may be a little biased because I was there at this performance where she debuted the song for the first time. The feel of the song being played was like getting to look someone you hate in the eyes and scream at them about all of the radical injustice that they’ve been ignoring, at least that’s how I received it. This song is strategically placed in the album, a revolutionary follow up to political topics she has spent years speaking on, Carlile is reminding us we are a movement backed by millions. I think that this type of activism is the most therapeutic form of political statement for an artist and her audience, and I can speak on the way the audience could viscerally feel the intentional rage behind the song. It is refreshing to see artists actually using their platforms to make their voices heard, and elevate the opinions of many.
#4: “Joni”
It’s no secret that much of this album features musical tributes to Joni Mitchell’s music, and more importantly to the relationship between Brandi and Joni. After Mitchell’s health scare in 2015, she disappeared from the public eye for quite some time—that is, until Carlile brought her back onstage in 2022 for her first public performance in many years. The mentorship between the pair could only be characterized by “tough love”, and a joint appreciation of each other, ironically, without words. Carlile describes Mitchell’s reaction to hearing this song for the first time; “When she heard that, she called me an assh-le,” Carlile said. “Because she knew exactly what I meant, and you’re not supposed to get Joni Mitchell. She doesn’t want to be understood.” I think that even without knowing the deeply personal context behind their relationship, you can feel the magic and memories that are embedded within the saxophone solos and the laughter in Carlile’s tone. This song is a standout in the album, and culminates the feelings of having a deep respect for a relationship that can withstand the tests of time and hardships alike.
#5: “No One Knows Us”
The second to last song on the album, this song similarly reflects the relationship between 2 people who know each other better than anybody else. This song captures how people can communicate without words, and how there are feelings that you know nobody could understand except for that one person. The tone of urgency in this song particularly acknowledges how defenseless we can feel in times of need, and how it is completely ok to need one important person to get you through it. Carlile does an excellent job of evoking how alone you can feel when nobody understands what you’ve been through, while building up the possibility of hope all at the same time. The broader message being that we don’t have to reflect on our hardships all alone, and it can be rare and even enlightening to know someone that well. Ultimately, our darkest moments can transform our relationships for the better. This song ranks #5 for me because it truly falls in order with the album’s, spanning from a personal journey to oneself (“Returning To Myself”), to finally ending with a culminating reflection on the meaning of our closest friendships (“No One Knows Us”).