Following her 2018 breakthrough, By the Way, I Forgive You, Brandi Carlile embraced many roles: Brandi the Underdog, a singer who conquered the mainstream after a decade of hustling; Brandi the Steward, ushering in the resurgences of icons like Elton John , Tanya Tucker , and Joni Mitchell ; Brandi the Author, with her 2021 bestselling memoir; and Brandi the Collaborator, following her supergroup the Highwomen and her production work with Brandy Clark and Lucius.

None of these roles left much space for Brandi the Artist, or Brandi the Person. That’s the thesis of Returning to Myself, Carlile’s eighth solo album. It’s a frequently moving, occasionally spellbinding, and sporadically frustrating statement that represents Carlile’s finest work since By the Way . But it’s more th

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