Brandi Carlile Bares Her Soul on ‘By the Way, I Forgive You’

Donn Swaby

Ever since the release of her self-titled debut album in 2005,  Ravensdale, Washington native Brandi Carlile has proved a formidable and enduring artist, squarely establishing her rootsy brand of Americana in the folk rock scene.  With her trademark rugged voice, Carlile’s impassioned conveyance of raw ardor has remained consistently palpable, not just choosing to merely tug at the heartstrings so much as land an emotionally devastating knockout in every song she sings.

Carlile’s sixth studio album, “By the Way, I Forgive You,” finds the gifted singer/songwriter embracing the pain and heartache of a failed relationship, while simultaneously expressing gratitude for how this hardship helped make her a stronger person. With an emotionally transparent vocal delivery, Carlile sings the lyrics of each song in the form of a short story, accompanied by musical arrangements that evolve from a simple piano or guitar line to lush orchestral arrangements of prodigious grandiosity. In spite of the seemingly casual irony of the album’s title, the through-line connecting each track is one of healing, and ultimately forgiveness.

“Every Time I Hear That Song” starts off with an acoustic guitar riff underscoring Carlile’s voice, exposing her strength and vulnerability. The lyrics “Maybe I should thank you for giving me what I found” has Carlile acknowledging that she could not have discovered her own fortitude without the tumultuous relationship. She allows herself to remember both the good and the bad of her past relationship, baring proof of her emotional restoration and resilience.

In “The Joke,” Carlile quashes the myth that names do not hurt with lyrics that recall the pain of harassment and bullying. Beginning with a plainly elegant piano line that progresses into a violin-laden orchestral arrangement that is at once gorgeous and melancholy, this song serves as the wise testament of a survivor offered to the marginalized and the outcast who suffer abuse for their non-conformity; it is Carlile’s way of saying that one day, it will get better because those that have projected their fears and hatred upon others will one day come to envy their former victims’ courage to express their genuine selves.

In “Hold Out Your Hand,” Carlile readily recognizes that in times of desperation, societal pressures, aka “the devil,” can persuade us to give in to our fears which then manifest as greed, competition, prejudice and the impulse to isolate ourselves. However, Carlile’s answer in the face of that inclination to contract is to instead expand and unite with one another. This is perfectly highlighted with a chorus comprised of a group of people singing together in musical solidarity.

“The Mother” is a celebration of the life-changing event of motherhood, as when Carlile sings, “The first things that she took from me were selfishness and sleep/She broke a thousand heirlooms I was never meant to keep.” In the lines, “She filled my life with color, canceled plans, and trashed my car/But none of that was ever who we are,” Carlile’s inner wisdom allows her to recall parenting’s more difficult moments devoid of regret or bitterness. In fact, Carlile credits her daughter with being the very reason she achieved commercial success, as when she sings, “Oh, I’ll never hit the big time without you,” choosing to see the duty and responsibility of being a mother as an immense blessing bestowed upon her rather than a burden.

With “Whatever You Do,” Carlile addresses her unseen opposition, admitting to the temptation to sometimes want to run away from all the animosity projected towards her, as when she sings, “There are reasons why a body stays in motion, but at the moment, only demons come to mind / There are days when I could walk into the ocean with no one else but you to leave behind.” Yet, she ultimately chooses to recognize their shared humanity, continually returning to the refrain, “I love you, whatever you do.” Carlile sings these words out of love for herself as illustrated by the line, “I got a life to live too.”

In the song “Fulton County Jane Doe,” Carlile displays incredible empathy for those who have been forgotten, or as in the case of “Sugartooth,” those who have chosen to end their pain by suicide. Hearing Carlile sing for someone who was cast aside, one can’t help but feel this song is dedicated to all those of the world who have never received any kind of justice.

While playing a beautifully picked guitar line in the song “Most of All,” Carlile shares pearls of wisdom learned from her parents, who were not perfect, but nevertheless, taught her valuable lessons about love and forgiveness, which eventually made it possible for Carlile to create such an album full of grace, baring evidence of her own hard-won ablution.

On “Harder to Forgive” Carlile’s voice rides over an upbeat rhythm that later broadens into a cinematic orchestral ensemble, her most raw, vocal outpouring combined with the sudden, feverish crescendo of staccato violins. With lines like, “I have suffered for the peace inside my mind,” Carlile accepts that although forgiveness is essential, it is far from easy. “Harder to Forgive” shows that Carlile has come to understand this through experience, as when she first sings, “Sometimes I pretend we never met,” only to accept that pretending to forget causes more suffering.

“Party of One” is Carlile’s heartfelt admission to the emotional cost of enduring the sometimes rough and bumpy road of a committed marriage. When she sings, “I am tired,” you can literally hear her exhaustion in her strained vocal chords. Yet, when she sings the lines, “I love you still” and “I am coming home, ‘cause I am yours,” she is declaring that she is in no way giving up, as she seems to stake her life on her wedding vows. There is a steadfast positivity evident in her lyrics, as if she is saying her promise to love her partner for better or worse is a responsibility she is more than willing to assume, for she holds that love to be supreme.

In its entirety, “By The Way, I forgive You” is a testament to Carlile’s willingness to travel the more difficult road and to allow herself to heal from the hardships of life and love. By example, Carlile illustrates that the best way, indeed the only way, to do this is by facing the pain head on. “By The Way, I forgive You” is an embracing of life, in all its glory and messiness, a celebration of its beauty, both sacred and profane.

“By the Way, I Forgive You” is available Feb. 16 on Apple Music.