Singer-songwriter Brielle Brown recently released her debut long player, In Art & Soil The Same, about the stories that define our lives, enabling us to make sense of life, shape our identities, and find our place in the world.
Brown explains, “It’s about the delicate closeness of grief and suffering, of the memories stored and storied in our bodies and land, and of quiet power we keep. It was written with deep yearning to return to an embodied self in such a disembodied world. The album welcomes anyone and everyone who is searching for deeper meaning within our collective human experience. It is my offering, a container, and hopefully, a bridge to tell your own story.”
Produced by Marc Swersky (Joe Cocker, Hilary Duff, Natalie Cole), the album was recorded and engineered by Jack Daley and mixed by Seth Von Paulus. Artists featured on the album include The Carlile Family Band, Michelle Moore and Anthony Almonte of the E-Street Band, on vocals and percussion, along with Aaron Comes (Spin Doctors), Rob Clores (Joan Osbourne, The Black Crowes), and Vin Landolfi (Demi Lovato, Tori Kelly).
Most of the songs on In Art & Soil The Same were written by Brown during her 15-month fellowship at The Witness Institute, which supports and prepares emerging leaders to shape positive changes in society.
Of the 10 tracks on the album, high points include “Blessing,” a deliciously bluesy song vaguely reminiscent of Joan Baez, although Brown’s vocals are more nuanced, exuding aromas of gospel savors.
“Get Back To The Garden,” featuring The Carlile Family Band,” conjures up suggestions of Procol Harum gone rootsy. A braying organ infuses the melody with glowing, gliding surfaces as Brown’s passionate, slightly drawling vocals infuse the lyrics with intense feelings of wistful regret and a sense of urgency.
“Because love remembers / Even though we forget / And there’s no use trying to disarm us / When we get back to the garden.”
A personal favorite because of Brown’s darkly voluptuous voice, dripping with soulful lifeblood, “Birthright” rolls and heaves and sways on a wickedly sensuous melody. Brown’s delivery summons up the weight of memory, appearing from forgotten depths to remind us of our lapses.
“I need some healing mother / I need a place in the sun / Find me some god like offer / To remember the last time I was / To remember the last I was.”
Drenched in flavors of country and blues, Brown’s cover of Don Henley’s “The Heart Of The Matter” pulls listeners into a soundscape where vain misgivings and pride can be checked only by forgiveness. Emotional authenticity suffuses Brown’s voice, displaying the deepest and most intimate of thoughts.
The final track, “Beautiful Resistance,” a blend of pop-rock energy and bouncy Americana tangs, offers a big, brass-laced, almost swashbuckling finale to a grand album.
One of music’s premier vocalists, with a gift for memorable lyrics, In Art & Soil The Same punctuates the enormous talent of Brielle Brown. https://www.briellebrowncreative.com
Check out our previous coverage here: Video Premiere: Brielle Brown “She’s Come to Sing”