When the journey turns inward.
Brandi Carlile has been everywhere these past few years, producing Grammy-winning albums, singing with her heroes, even sharing an Oscar nod with Elton John. But on her new record, Returning To Myself, she takes a rare detour inward, trading big stages for quiet rooms and bright lights for bare honesty.
It’s her first solo album since In These Silent Days (2021), and maybe her most personal yet. Ten songs, no filler, just Carlile surrounded by people who get her: Andrew Watt, Aaron Dessner, Justin Vernon, Phil and Tim Hanseroth, SistaStrings, and more. Together they’ve built something raw, tender, and human.
The title isn’t a victory cry, it’s an uneasy confession. “Returning to myself isn’t something I want to do,” she admits. “It’s lonely. It’s boring. And that’s exactly why I need to.” That push-and-pull between solitude and connection runs through every lyric, every breath.
From her roots in rural Washington to life on the road with her family, Carlile writes like someone trying to make peace with stillness. The sound of gravel under tires, the hush between two people breathing, that’s where her stories live now.
Returning To Myself feels less like a comeback and more like a quiet arrival, Brandi Carlile, unguarded, unhurried, and completely at home in her own heart.
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