Album Review – Brandy Clark’s “Your Life is a Record”
When we look back at this current era in country music, Brandy Clark will be regarded as playing a pivotal role. No, they won’t find a formidable list of smash singles and platinum records on her resume, or touring purses that put her near the top of country performers. She has helped pen a few pretty big hits such as The Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two” and Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart.” But this is more about the behind-the-scenes impact and influence she’s had that will be held in such high regard.
Brandy Clark is the modern day mother of the sassy and subversive female country song. Disillusionment with Southern social mores and tearing down the facade of suburbia is what she has spun into fun and interesting tales in country music for over a decade now, working directly with Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves, and others in that capacity, while fielding her own records highly regarded by critics, even if they fly under the radar of the commercial market. And she does it all while staying mostly within the norms of the country music craft.
Brandy Clark also deserves credit for helping to integrate country for LGBT writers and performers. Though the starstruck media loves to parade the name of Kacey Musgraves as country music’s “gay icon,” and last summer fellow Washington State-born Brandi Carlile was hyperextending her right elbow patting herself on the back for the first gay country song (and the media was letting her get away with it), Brandy Clark has just quietly been doing her thing as a country songwriter and performer, and doing much more to soften conservative concern for LGBT members intermingling in the country scene than screaming at people about it on Twitter. “Follow Your Arrow” may have been performed by Kacey Musgraves, but Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally co-write it, and inspired the message.
Your Life is a Record is a little bit of a different approach for Brandy. Where usually her songs follow more of a proven methodology in the use of double entendres and witty turns of phrase and perspective to render themselves enjoyable—and emerge from songwriting sessions with other professionals—this record strikes a more personal chord. There are still those Brandy Clark-style songs with attitude, like “Long Walk” about finding a short pier, or the observational humor of “Bigger Boat” featuring Randy Newman—who you can tell through this collaboration has inferred a lot of Brandy Clark’s approach to the craft.
But what makes the major impression on Your Life is a Record are songs like “Who You Thought I Was,” “Apologies,” “Can We Be Strangers,” and “The Past Is The Past.” In these compositions, Brandy Clark does something she’s mostly avoided in her career heretofore, which is using the inspiration of her own mistakes and failed relationship as fodder for song material as opposed to knocking down nosy neighbors and white picket fences.
But it’s fair to question if this approach is really better for Brandy. Though these songs come across as very personal, some don’t really resonate like some of Clark’s more classic compositions do. They may resonate with Brandy, but sometimes they make a connection with the audience, and sometimes they may not. The music of Your Life is a Record also fails to make any sort of major expression or impact. You hate to bring it up, but this record isn’t really that country. There’s horns and strings in places which is fine, but there’s not really any sort of cohesive approach to the music like the surprisingly country sound of her last record, Big Day in a Small Town.
But you also still get some of those great Brandy Clark-style songs, even if they feel more like the product of a professional methodology to songwriting as opposed to being penned from inspiration. “Pawn Shop” is palpably difficult to shield yourself from the emotion of, even if it’s idea has been done before. Down to the reference to Charlotte Ave., which on of the principle streets in Nashville, it’s these details that make Brandy Clark songs cut. “Bad Car” once again is an old song trope, but one Brandy Clark puts a fresh coat of paint on like only she can.
The album’s first single “Who You Thought I Was” is where the personal nature of the story, Brandy’s knack for songwriting, and a country sensibility to the music all combine. The fingerpicked melody behind the narrative about how we often change for love, sometimes for the better, sometimes for worse, may result in the record’s best track.
There was a moment after Brandy Clark released her debut album 12 Stories, and was later snatched up by Warner Bros. that we thought she might be one of the next big things in country music. That never really materialized as this all occurred right as the reign of Bro-Country was commencing. But time has a way of sifting the wheat from the chaff, and when that happens, the contributions and influence of Brandy Clark will find their proper place. Multiple tracks from Your Life is a Record will support that assessment.
1 3/4 Guns Up (8/10)
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Purchase Your Life is a Record
Paddy
March 9, 2020 @ 9:27 am
See Trigger. When you stick to what you are good at it is impossible to argue with you. Agree with this revue. I would give her a 9 for this album. Not a bad song on it.
Jake Cutter
March 9, 2020 @ 12:16 pm
See Trigger, When people hear viewpoints approved as acceptable to their fragile bubble, you get an attaboy.
Di Harris
March 9, 2020 @ 1:17 pm
M-I-C-K-E-Y …
Everybody, put your hands together, Come on …
sorry, tried Really Really REALLY hard, not to …
Di Harris
March 9, 2020 @ 1:30 pm
Sorry Jake,
Clicked the wrong reply button.
KGD
March 9, 2020 @ 9:30 am
We’ve loved Brandy Clark from the first time we heard Big Day/Small Town. I actually like 12 Stories better, but not by much. Hungover should have been a chart-topping country hit in a more perfect world. One of my top songs of the decade.
I liked this better the second time than the first. I bet I like it better the third than the second and think these songs will work well live when we see her in May.
Thanks for reviewing.
Dawg Fan
March 9, 2020 @ 10:40 am
What happened to the LIKE boxes?
OMFS88
March 9, 2020 @ 12:22 pm
At this time it is recommended to keep your “likes” and “high fives” to yourselves for safety
Dawg Fan
March 9, 2020 @ 12:30 pm
LOL! Can’t we just all get along? 🙂
Trigger
March 9, 2020 @ 1:06 pm
After doing some backend work on the site they got buggy and we took them down. Working on getting them restored ASAP.
SG
March 9, 2020 @ 11:11 am
I think I like the more country sound of her last one better…. but definitely some quality, enjoyable songs on this. She’s a badass.
OlaR
March 9, 2020 @ 11:41 am
Isn’t it called LGBTQ+ now? Asking for a friend…
Un-(Popular Opinion): her last album Big Day In A Small Town was (much) better.
“Love Can Go To Hell” was not a massive hit but much longer on my playlist than the majority of the current released songs. The production was tighter. The sound more country.
Your Life Is A Record with it’s horns, strings & retro-pop production (“Long Walk”, “Who You Thought I Was”…) sounds more like a singer/songwriter project. Serious & free from fun.
“Bigger Boat” with the oh so famous Randy Newman makes me cringe.
“Pawn Shop” sounds like a Mary Chapin Carpenter track.
Maybe next time again.
Trigger
March 9, 2020 @ 1:06 pm
I choose to not use the term “queer” because it’s a pejorative and offensive slang. I understand that many gay people have adopted the term or may even prefer it, but knowing the history of that term, I choose not to use it at all.
RD
March 9, 2020 @ 1:12 pm
I think it is regarded as an academic term now.
Bri
March 9, 2020 @ 1:42 pm
I’ve never heard anyone serious call themselves “queer”, though. It’s mostly used in the liberal/leftist/SJW/Tumblr crowd. Us “Normal” gays prefer to use the regular terms (gay, lesbian, LGBT, etc) rather than queer.
Side note, I do think it depends on where you live. I live in a medium-sized town roughly 30 miles from Ottawa-Gatineau, Quebec (Canada) and I’ve had “queer” yelled at me pejoratively more times than I can count. But I go to uni in Ottawa, a much larger, liberal big city and everything LGBT is called “queer” without a second thought . (ex. “queer pride month” instead of “gay/LGBT pride month” etc)
“Queer” as a term is still offensive though. The only time it should be used is by people who want to self identify with it. Just my two cents.
OlaR
March 9, 2020 @ 2:48 pm
The people i know are “just” gay. Not one of them is using the word LGBwhatever or queer.
Living in a city with a large university the tide is turning. Local media is using queer, LBG… or “sexual fluid/gender fluid” all the time now.
Aggc
March 9, 2020 @ 1:12 pm
Agree. “Big Day on a Small Town” was great. It had it all. This one is a huge disappointment. Oh well, we still have Lori McKenna…
Luckyoldsun
March 9, 2020 @ 4:04 pm
@OlaR
They add a new sub-category and a new letter every year. It’s safer just to say LGBTQRSTUVWXYZ+ and you won’t leave anybody out.
wayne
March 9, 2020 @ 4:39 pm
Exactly. Where does an old straight male fit in?
Aggc
March 10, 2020 @ 7:47 pm
I wouldnt worry much. We still represent the foundation of this country.
Blackh4t
March 10, 2020 @ 2:37 am
I give up in despair and just say ‘the alphabets’ in a way that means “people who think I care about what kind of sex lives they want to lead”
Personally I don’t care.
I have enjoyed Sarah Shook writing songs about lesbian relationship problems. Sounds so much more believable.
Anyway, Brandy annoys me occasionally by seeming to be a man hater, but I’m sure I would annoy her too so I’ll call it even and just enjoy her music and she can enjoy the money I spend on her cds.
Tyler Pappas
March 9, 2020 @ 1:46 pm
I’ve been very torn with this record. I’ve accepted the fact that it’s sort of a mixed bag. I think the production hurt a lot of the songs. Certain songs reminded me of Kim Richey and Matreca Berg in style. A lot of the songs are growing on me but “Apologies”, “Can We Be Strangers Again”, “Who Broke whose heart” and “The Past is the Past” do not work for me.
Trigger
March 9, 2020 @ 5:05 pm
I totally understand your tornness, and feel the same way about those songs like I said in the review. I think the writing is fine, but you expect something a little different from Brandy Clark. And I agree the production of this record feels lost. On some songs it’s fine. But others it’s like they tried to get too cute, but didn’t have any real vision or direction. So many records here lately are just overthinking the production, especially in “Americana.”
albert
March 9, 2020 @ 1:56 pm
as a writer i’m think i’m a brandy clark fan. i say ‘ as a writer ‘ cuz if you aren’t a writer you sometimes hear a different song . a writer hears what the lyric could have , should or shouldn’t have said , forgot to say , a rhyme that may have improved things , a less distracting phrasing or emphasis on certain words or syllables . and as a writer , i never hear those things with brandy clark . but i hear the work she invested in getting her thoughts and a lyric RIGHT .
i love the lyric to PAWN SHOP …., the melody , the tempo , and the work she has put into the writing . but this is a song looking for an arrangment . or more accurately …a rhythm track . i’m distracted by wherever it is the bass and drums are trying to take this understated little story and undermining its charm at every turn and i wish brandy had been just as distracted and vetoed the approach . look no further than claire lynch , dori freeman , michaela anne or charlie marie to see how its done . in fact i don’t think brandy needed drums on this at all . a doghouse bass and that mandolin would have been plenty supportive.
looking forward to the rest of the record .
albert
March 11, 2020 @ 9:54 am
I’ve listened to the whole record now .
again …lyrically speaking ,IMO BC has the market cornered on song crafting and a voice that never gets in the way or steals the spotlight from the lyric . Its is always pitched beautifully and audible above a track .
musically and melodically speaking I think that although BC and co have tried to explore a few unexpected musical options its an overall fail in the excitement ( or even ‘interesting’ ) departments . there’s an almost calculated easy-listening , less -than-impassioned and, in fact, borderline boring approach to the songs and , again to my ear, not terribly interesting melodically . “safe” is the word that came to mind as I listened …Mary Chapin Carpenter safe . at times I was almost aching for her to either break into ” Johnny B Goode ” ( an incredible lyric , BTW ) or take a few more chances a la Golden Hour …….just something to keep me engaged .
still think its a solid record but perhaps more of a showcase for her lyric-writing than anything carrying any kind of stylistically stellar stamp. If i’d heard her sing these tunes in a song circle with just an acoustic i would have been as impressed as with these full-blown albeit lackluster arrangements .
albert
March 11, 2020 @ 10:00 am
trigger sums it up here . maybe the attention to lyric leaves less attention for the other elements necessary for a song to be memorable .
”…..even if they feel more like the product of a professional methodology to songwriting as opposed to being penned from inspiration. ..
tara
March 12, 2020 @ 12:15 pm
I agree 100% and I consider myself a big fan of hers.
HayesCarll2323
March 9, 2020 @ 5:11 pm
Great review Trig! I think this is a fantastic album! Brandy Clark is what mainstream country should sound like. I dig this so much.
Will
March 9, 2020 @ 7:27 pm
Can someone give more context about Brandi Carlile writing the “first gay country song?” I must’ve missed that story
Trigger
March 9, 2020 @ 8:00 pm
It was in a puff piece in Rolling Stone. I’m not going to link to it here, but you can find it. Here’s the important part:
“And then there’s “If She Ever Leaves Me,” a classic country weeper that just happens to feature a woman — Carlile — singing about another woman, written by Shires, Isbell, and Chris Tompkins. “Me and Amanda were in Jackson Hole, and I was on the elliptical and I thought about this project and went, ‘What if Brandi sang it?’” Isbell says. “And I started going, ‘Gay country song! Gay country song!’ I called Amanda [Shires] and went ‘Gay country song! Gay country song!’” The group is billing the tune as the first of its kind, and it encompasses the kind of longing that anyone who’s ever felt true desire can relate to: love is love.”
Carlile did not write it, she just sang it. But the group and their publicists/label was billing it as the first gay country song, which was pretty shocking since you would assume all the members of the group should have known better, and the writer of the article should have known too, but offered no challenge or clarification. It sparked off a pretty big controversy in the community of gay country writers and performers, who of course have been writing and releasing songs for decades.
It’s the same feature where Jason Isbell inexplicably blamed “country purists online” for the lack of women on mainstream country radio, like country purists online are mainstream radio listeners.
A similar controversy erupted when Lil Nas X won a CMA Award last November, and multiple media outlets proclaimed him the first gay person to ever win a CMA. Then they corrected it to say he was the first ever gay man to win one. Then they had to correct themselves again to say he was the first gay black man to ever win one. Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally won a CMA in 2014 for “Follow Your Arrow.”
SG
March 9, 2020 @ 8:16 pm
Sort of on the subject, not sure if you’ve seen this interview, but the 2 interviewers for Billboard do their best to make her make political comments and steer her towards their narrative. One of the women even says its “incredulous” that Brandy could have had a positive experience as an out artist in country music, despite her saying that has been her experience. They also passive aggressively question her for not “taking a stand.” If you can’t stomach the whole interview, they discuss it at 24:15.
https://www.billboard.com/video/brandy-clark-talks-balancing-the-personal-with-the-political-on-soul-sisters-8097525
618creekrat
March 10, 2020 @ 12:54 pm
Sorta like the Paste Studio host working up a sweat steering Whitney Rose into commenting on the supposed mass exodus from the US into Canada?
https://youtu.be/MUk0-3xDD5o
618creekrat
March 10, 2020 @ 12:31 pm
Isbell on the elliptical spoiled the story for me.
Trigger
March 10, 2020 @ 1:53 pm
In Jackson Hole, no less. That’s a white man’s world if there ever was one.
KGD
March 10, 2020 @ 12:14 am
Well, I got a lot from the three (four?) posts in here that are actually about the music. 🙄
Scrapple77
March 10, 2020 @ 6:34 am
Thank you! Brandy’s previous two albums were two of my favorites of the last decade or so, and I was counting down the days for this one. Was excited for the depth of discussion around her new songs that I have come to expect around here, and most of what we got was folks who “don’t care” about anyone’s sexuality taking the time to write multi-paragraph posts about it, people complaining about the site’s glitches, and apologies for replying to the wrong post.
The album has grown on me with each listen, but I’ve also been in the mood for it. I don’t think it’ll have the “go-to” staying power in my rotation of her previous releases. Agree with LM54 below that I am very curious to hear some of these live when I see Brandy in May!
LM54
March 13, 2020 @ 7:07 am
Yep. Gimme the acoustic versions anytime. Great example of that is Girl Next Door – I found the album version catchy, but just too poppy for me and could never really get into it. Then I heard the NPR Tiny Desk version, and you realise what a fantastic song it really is. Enjoy the concert. Wish she was coming across the pond again!
LM54
March 10, 2020 @ 4:58 am
After a 4th listening, I agree with everything in the review. Not country, not even close to the quality of the first two albums, not a fan of the horns and strings. Would like to hear these songs played live with no, or minimal, backing. That could make all the difference. Anyway, all said, 8/10 is a generous score.
jeannie
March 10, 2020 @ 9:58 am
I love Brandy’s songwriting and singing…I was listening to the radio this morning, of course they had the boys playing song after song. Luke Bryan came on, don’t know the song title, but it was a terrible song (to me) no doubt climbing up the charts. I SMH, turn the damn radio off.We have girls like Brandy putting out great singles, radio will never play. Miranda has a great single BLUEBIRD that has finally climbed to top 30. It had over a two hundred plays, now its down to one hundred plays. There is so much stuff going on in the music business that fans such as myself know nothing about. I find myself disliking my local DJ’s here in this small City. Top it all off we have a female DJ that puts the music in play??
Juwer
April 23, 2020 @ 6:11 am
Huh? Bluebird isn’t “great”. It’s shitty pop with exaggerated vocals. Come on, Miranda can do better than this.
Stringbuzz
March 10, 2020 @ 11:03 am
Huge Brandy Clark fan. This album is good, but nothing pops on it for me.
If you are a fan, something to add to the collection, but IDK if it wins her any new fans.
Kingpete
March 10, 2020 @ 12:57 pm
Really connected to this album almost immediately…because of the quality of songwriting. And for comments around production, saw her at an in-store yesterday with two acoustic guitars and the songs/stories just shined that much brighter. Early in the year for a Top 5 prediction for me, but i’m making it.
albert
March 11, 2020 @ 10:10 am
as i mentioned above ,kingpete….this does not surprise me . I think BC is a lyric writer who could use better co-writers when it comes to crafting the melodic elements and arrangements . but I would say that about most music I hear …commercially or otherwise. where are the bacharachs, the elton johns , the holland, hollan and doziers ? MELODY . MEMORABLE MELODY is MISSING from contemporary stuff . brandy with her acoustic and her lyric sentiments would , i’m sure , make a terrific intimate listening experience …but it could have been a far better album , i think .