I'll just go ahead and say it- Bear Creek is Brandi Carlile's strongest effort yet. On Bear Creek, she experiments with several different sounds- the opener, "Hard Way Home" has more of a country feel than anything Carlile's released so far. "Raise Hell" is a barnburning, Johnny Cash-style stomp (not a surprise that she would go down that road- she's covered Cash many times in concert). "Keep Your Heart Young" was a song that grew on me with each listen- at first it sounded a little corny but after a few listens it's a favorite track. The train-whistle style intro to "Rise Again" is stirring. Every track is solidly written, with great harmonies and even some cello. I consider the last track to be "In The Morrow", with "Just Kids" being more of a hidden-track curiosity. Overall, Bear Creek is one of the best albums I've listened to in a long while.
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