12 Stories
| 12 Stories | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Brandy Clark | ||||
| Released | October 22, 2013 | |||
| Genre | Country, Americana[1] | |||
| Length | 42:14 | |||
| Label | Slate Creek Records | |||
| Producer | Dave Brainard | |||
| Brandy Clark chronology | ||||
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| Singles from 12 Stories | ||||
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12 Stories is the full-length debut studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Brandy Clark. It was released on October 22, 2013 on the Dallas-based Slate Creek Records label. Clark wrote or co-wrote all 12 of the songs and it features Vince Gill on background vocals.[2][3]
When Clark first moved to Nashville around 1997 she wanted to be a recording artist, but instead concentrated on her song writing which is her true passion. It took her many years to hone a voice as an individual artist with a view to creating songs which would be commercially viable and which people wanted to listen to. She played occasional gigs and made demo tapes enough to finance an EP to sell at songwriters’ night shows. In 2010 her two co-managers heard that EP and told her they would help finance a full studio record along with a management company. As a respected Music Row songwriter she was also encouraged by friends in the business to release a batch of her own material. The songs on this album were know to and recorded by her 2 years before its release date.[4][5] Previous to this and during that time span she had become a part of a tight circle of friends and regular song collaborators that included singing songwriters Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, Kacey Musgraves, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Trevor Rosen, some of whom contribute to the album.[6][7][8][9]
The song “Stripes” was co-written with Shane McAnally at a songwriters retreat at Center Hill Lake. It was released in America as a single which premiered on Sirius XM Radio Radio.[10] The official video made its CMT debut on July 4, 2013. The release of the album coincides with a breakthrough year for Clark after being named as one of CMT's Next Women of Country and gaining well-deserved attention after scoring a CMA Song of the Year nomination for her contribution to “Mama’s Broken Heart” and enjoying chart-topping success as a writer of The Band Perry’s No.1 song “Better Dig Two.”[11]
The songs on 12 Stories are mostly ones which were admired by, but not recorded by other artists, possibly due to the provocative storytelling and their daring content, which is a Clark trademark.[5]
Music and lyrics
Teaming up with producer Dave Brainard, 12 Stories draws on styles such as country folk and catchy country pop performed in midtempo in both classic and contemporary styles with arrangements which are sparse and clean. They first toyed with making the album a concept record, chronicling a couple’s relationship but ended up rejecting the idea but that instinct is evident in the track listing order.[5] The album is full of diverse characters in which Clark tells stories which manage to be dramatic, humorous, heartfelt and down right honest in which she examines and celebrates her characters. Describing her songs, Randy Lewis from the LA Times wrote: “find this record and listen to a dozen dazzlingly witty and insightful takes on the struggles of the working class ("Pray to Jesus"), neglected and/or mistreated women ("Crazy Women," "The Day She Got Divorced"), the battle between right and wrong ("What'll Keep Me Out of Heaven") and the pros and cons of chemical mood enhancers” ("Hungover," "Get High").[12]
"I think my music is a dark comedy, just as I think life is a dark comedy," said Brandy. "The truth is funny sometimes. I don't ever want to come across as corny or novelty, but you have to laugh at things. I feel like this record is about what's really going on in life." "I get my inspiration from real people who are just surviving their lives and getting through their days. That's who I write songs for," she explained.[3]
Two of the album's tracks were previously recorded by other artists: "Crazy Women" was a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for LeAnn Rimes as the second single from her 2011 album, Lady & Gentlemen, and "The Day She Got Divorced" was previously recorded by Reba McEntire on her 2010 album, All the Women I Am.
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 89/100[13] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| American Songwriter |  [14] |
| Country Weekly | A+[15] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[16] |
| Los Angeles Times | [12] |
| Rolling Stone | [17] |
| Roughstock | [18] |
12 Stories received positive acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 89, based on 6 reviews.[13]
Regarding Clark's writing, Stephen Thomas Erlewine at Allmusic commented “She's on the outside but she's an observer, not an outcast, noticing the quirks and eccentricities of her brethren instead of diving head-on into their madness” and describing her singing said “she avoids full-throated showstoppers for something better: she's sly and strong, mining heartbreak and sneaking in punch lines at unexpected times” and that the “strength and clarity” of Clark's voice becomes undeniable. He concludes “the superb 12 Stories showcases a unique artist who stands firmly, proudly on her own merits” [1]
At American Songwriter, Jonathan Bernstein noted the simplicity of the album title “gives a good sense of Clark’s direct, plain-spoken, songwriting” and that her debut was “a welcome, engrossing respite from the party-fueled escapism that’s dominated Music City throughout the summer of 2013” [14] Jon Freeman of Country Weekly described the set as “a staggeringly great collection of original tunes that paint vivid, honest portraits of real life, from a uniquely feminine perspective” [15]
Grady Smith of Entertainment Weekly noted that Clark “keeps things edgy, singing about divorce, drugs, jail, and Jesus—a.k.a. country music’s Golden Quadrangle, with matter-of-fact sass and ample twang” [16]
Will Hermes, writing for Rolling Stone concludes that Brandy’s ear “is unerring and her characters true” describing her as “ the kind of talent who makes the term "alt-country" unnecessary” [17]
At Roughstock, Matt Bjorke said Clark possesses a voice “that recalls Mary Chapin Carpenter, Suzy Bogguss, Kathy Mattea and Trisha Yearwood” and described her as “a unique talent in that she writes songs that are classic and contemporary all at the same time” and that 12 Stories is “one of the strongest albums of 2013 and of any album released in this new century”. [18]
Billboard writer Chuck Dauphin began his review with one word “Wow” and clarified “I don’t think I have ever started a review so simply in my decade-plus of writing them. But, sometimes, you can say a lot more with less than you can otherwise”. He said that Clark has assembled an album that potentially will “stand beside such landmark female collections” as Lee Ann Womack's 2005 released There's More Where That Came From and Reba McEntire's 1996 album Whoever's in New England.[19] He described the single “Stripes” as having “a modern day Loretta Lynn twist” and that perhaps the coolest line of any song during 2013 is “There’s no crime of passion worth a crime of fashion” [20]
Jody Rosen from New York Magazine declared “12 Stories Is My Favorite Album of 2013" [21]
In the January 2014 issue of leading UK country music publication Country Music People, editor Duncan Warwick made it his 5 Star CD of the Month summing up with "Every song tells a story and Brandy Clark makes them all riveting. Now I have to remove an album from my best of the year to make room for this"
Commercial performance
The album debuted at No. 197 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 28 on the Top Country Albums chart with 2,000 copies sold in its debut week.[22] It re-entered the Billboard 200 at a new peak of 163 for the chart dated December 7, 2013, and also peaked at the Top Country Album chart at No. 23. The album has sold 46,000 copies in the U.S. as of February 2015.[23]
Album credits
The liner notes included with the compact disc omit credit for musicians and engineers involved in the recording and production of the album. Although professional credits have commonly been excluded from digital downloads, compact disc liner notes have traditionally kept up with the practice.[24]
Credits are as follows:
Musicians:
Brandy Clark- Acoustic Guitar
Dave Brainard- Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Mandolin, Bass, Keyboards, Wine Glass
Marco Giovino - Drums
Harry Stinson - Drums
Gregg Lohman (track 10) - Drums
Byron House - Bass, Upright Bass
Tim Marks (tracks 2,7,12) - Bass
Chris Donahue(tracks 4,10) - Upright Bass
Will Doughty - Piano, Keyboards
Rob McNelly - Electric Guitars
Tim Teague (track 3) - B-Bender
Chris Leuzinger (track 7) - Electric Guitar
Smith Curry - Lap Steel
Bruce Bouton (track 7) - Steel Guitar
Dan Dugmore (tracks 2,4) - Dobro
Sweepy Walker - Harmonica, Percussion
John Deaderick (track 1) - Accordion
String Section: Megan Mullins (track 1)- violins | Jason Fitz (tracks 8,11,12)- Violins | Carol Rabinowitz- Cello | Jimmy Nichols (tracks 5,7)- Keyboard Strings
Guest Vocals- Vince Gill, Kacey Musgraves
Background Vocals: Shane McAnally, Ray Scott, Bonnie Baker, Tiffany Goss, Josh Osborne
Tracked by Brian Kolb at Ben Fold’s Studio Nashville TN (assisted by Leslie Richter) Overdubs and Editing by Dave Brainard at Mix Dream Studios Nashville,TN Mixed By Brian Kolb and Dave Brainard at Mix Dream Studios Nashville, TN
This record was recorded with analog tape using CLASP© technology
Mastered by Eric Conn and Don Cobb for Independent Mastering LLC
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pray to Jesus" | Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally | 3:22 |
| 2. | "Crazy Women" | Clark, McAnally, Jessie Jo Dillon | 3:37 |
| 3. | "What'll Keep Me Out Of Heaven" | Clark, Mark Stephen Jones | 3:34 |
| 4. | "Get High" | Clark | 3:31 |
| 5. | "Hold My Hand" | Clark, Jones | 3:36 |
| 6. | "Stripes" | Clark, McAnally, Matt Jenkins | 3:16 |
| 7. | "In Some Corner" | Clark, Trent Jeffcoat | 3:38 |
| 8. | "Take a Little Pill" | Clark, McAnally, Mark D. Sanders | 3:29 |
| 9. | "Hungover" | Clark, McAnally, Dillon | 3:56 |
| 10. | "Illegitimate Children" | Clark, Deanna Walker | 3:21 |
| 11. | "The Day She Got Divorced" | Clark, McAnally, Sanders | 3:23 |
| 12. | "Just Like Him" | Clark, McAnally, Dillon | 3:31 |
Total length: |
42:14 | ||
Charts
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[25] | 163 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[26] | 23 |
| US Top Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[27] | 2 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[28] | 22 |
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Country Albums Chart (OCC)[29] | 10 |
References
- 1 2 3 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (Oct 22, 2013). "12 Stories – Brandy Clark : Songs, Reviews, Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved Oct 23, 2013.
- ↑ CMT Press Release Retrieved on 2013-07-22, first published January 14, 2013
- 1 2 Shore Fire Media Press Release Retrieved on 2013-10-23, first published August 26, 2013
- ↑ The Boot Brandy Clark Interview: Singer-Songwriter Talks New Album, Songwriting Success Retrieved 2013-10-26, published Oct 25, 2013
- 1 2 3 Radio.com Interview Retrieved on 2013-110-26, published Oct 24, 2013
- ↑ Big, Crazy Characters: A Talk with Brandy Clark by Wall Street Journal writer Barry Mazor Retrieved 2013-10-26, published Oct 21, 2013
- ↑ GAC News Retrieved on 2013-07-22, published May 16, 2013
- ↑ Rolling Stone Article: Brandy Clark's High Hopes Shine on '12 Stories' Retrieved 2013-10-26, published Oct 17, 2013
- ↑ CMT Edge: New Music To Know: Brandy Clark Changes Country Music for the Better With Her Brutally Honest Debut Retrieved 2013-10-26, published Oct 24, 2013
- ↑ Digital Single Release Retrieved 2013-10-24, published August 28, 2013
- ↑ CMT News: Brandy Clark's 12 Stories Leads New Albums Retrieved on 2013-10-23, published Oct 22, 2013
- 1 2 Lewis, Randy (Oct 22, 2013). "Review: Brandy Clark dazzles with '12 Stories'". The L.A. Times. Retrieved Oct 23, 2013.
- 1 2 Metacritic (Oct 22, 2013). "Critic Reviews from 12 Stories". CBS Interactive. Retrieved Oct 23, 2013.
- 1 2 Bernstein, Jonathan (Oct 16, 2013). "Brandy Clark: 12 Stories". American Songwriter. Retrieved Oct 23, 2013.
- 1 2 Freeman, Jon (Oct 22, 2013). "12 Stories by Brandy Clark". Country Weekly. Retrieved Oct 23, 2013.
- 1 2 Smith, Grady (Oct 22, 2013). "New Releases Roundup: Brandy Clark, 12 Stories Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved Oct 23, 2013.
- 1 2 Hermes, Will (Oct 22, 2013). "Brandy Clark 12 Stories Slate Creek". Rolling Stone. Retrieved Oct 23, 2013.
- 1 2 Bjorke, Matt (Oct 21, 2013). "Album Review: Brandy Clark - 12 Stories". Roughstock. Retrieved Oct 23, 2013.
- ↑ Music News Nashville Album Review Retrieved on 2013-10-23, published Oct 8, 2013
- ↑ Roughstock Singles Recap Retrieved 2013-10-24, published Oct 18, 2013
- ↑ New York Mag Retrieved on 2013-10-23, published July 23, 2013
- ↑ Matt Bjorke (October 30, 2013). "Country Album Chart News: The Week of October 30, 2013: Luke Bryan, Scotty McCreery Lead Chart, Brandy Clark Debuts". Roughstock.
- ↑ Matt Bjorke (February 19, 2015). "Country Album Chart Report For February 19, 2015". Roughstock.
- ↑ iTunes and the death of Liner Notes Retrieved on 2013-12-21, published December 27, 2010
- ↑ "Brandy Clark – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Brandy Clark.
- ↑ "Brandy Clark – Chart history" Billboard Top Country Albums for Brandy Clark.
- ↑ "Brandy Clark – Chart history" Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums for Brandy Clark.
- ↑ "Brandy Clark – Chart history" Billboard Independent Albums for Brandy Clark.
- ↑ "Country Artist Albums Top 20 - 7th Dec 2013". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2014-02-05.