Bear Creek

As a young artist, Brandi Carlile grew noticeably more mature and confident with each new album. Now 30, she's found her niche. 2012's Bear Creek primarily captures her acoustic side. Producer Trina Shoemaker fully understands Carlile's strengths, and from the opening gallop of "Hard Way Home" the sound leaves a comfortable space for her vocals to soar. The mild rockabilly tint of "Raise Hell" remains a modest buzz in the background where even the electric guitars that take the solo are kept in the background to better emphasize Carlile's husky blues vocals. Elements of folk, bluegrass, country, blues, pop, even gospel (try the chorus of voices tracing Carlile for "Save Part of Yourself") present themselves in part, while the results are always a combination of several elements ensuring something new. The piano ballad "That Wasn't Me" builds in power convincingly. Carlile has grown into a mature artist who has complete control over her talents and isn't afraid to try something new while remaining true to tradition.