The fabulous One2One Network has selected some people to do a review of yet another awesome album. This time I was lucky enough to get a copy of Brandi Carlile‘s new album Give Up The Ghost.

So I’m tucked in, under my soft, velvety blanket listening to the upbeat vocal stylings of Brandi Carlile. Really wishing I had a fireplace and a nice glass of wine, but I digress. I have never listened to any of her music before, but I have to say I kind of like the folksy beat of it.

According to her website this is the most candid album that she has done to date and she worked with Elton John and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, to name a few, on Give Up the Ghost.

While the name of the album implies death or dying, the focus she was really getting at is passing through different stages in life which I think she accomplishes nicely.

I love the acoustic guitar and her raspy voice. It reminds me of traveling music. Something I might flip on in my car on a road trip, in a convertible with the top down and my hair blowing in the wind (if my hair was long enough to blow nicely, like in the movies. Right now it’s too short and would just get in my eyes. And probably annoy me.)

I can’t put my finger on it. To me it sounds like a mash up of  Carly Simon/Damien Rice/Patsy Cline/Simon and Garfunkel/Alanis Morrissette. Crazy, but it works for her.

The first track on the album, Looking Out, really set the tone for the album. She uses the phrase “when you’re outside looking in” throughout the song and I think it speaks volumes. It’s what we all need to do. Take a step back and reflect on your own personal experiences from an outside perspective. Listening to the album you could feel that these songs were carefully chosen and they each were a reflection from certain stages and experiences in her life.

Before it Breaks was another favorite of mine. It was a hauntingly beautiful song. I felt so much emotion come through as I was listening. It  was very moving. I also really enjoyed Oh Dear, to me it was very reminiscent of the music in the 50′s with what sounded like a ukulele strumming in the background, it had an echo-y sound with some complimentary back up singers.

Here’s a little YouTube clip of it:

I love albums that actually have meaning behind them. Rediscovery. Searching. Analyzing. Not letting your mistakes get you down. Reinventing.  All in all I have to say that this was a pretty good CD. I’m a sucker for a raspy voice with some groovy guitar sounds.