All Songs Considered

The Contenders, Vol. 23: Brandi Carlile, Blood Orange, Magdalena Bay, more

October 28, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The episode focuses on new music that features unpredictable musical adventures and constant sonic shifts, echoing a trend the hosts observed in artists like The Beatles. 
  • Brandi Carlile's featured song, "Church & State" from the album *Returning to Myself*, is highlighted as a surprising, stadium-sized rock anthem channeling righteous indignation and classic American anti-establishment energy. 
  • Hannah Francis's track, "The Space Between (feat. Daniel Rossen)" from *Nested in Tangles*, exemplifies the episode's theme through its spellbinding meld of diverse genres including chamber pop, psych folk, and art rock. 

Segments

Musical Adventure Theme
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(00:00:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Modern music often features unpredictable musical adventures, similar to how The Beatles stitched together multiple song ideas into one track.
  • Summary: The host recalled a conversation with Paul McCartney about how many Beatles songs, like “A Day in the Life,” combine several distinct song ideas. This structural complexity is now common, especially in the music featured on this episode. This trend may result from artists having a broader base of musical appreciation.
Brandi Carlile’s Rock Anthem
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(00:01:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Brandi Carlile’s “Church & State” from Returning to Myself is a full-throttle, stadium-sized rock anthem reminiscent of 80s Heart or Bon Jovi.
  • Summary: The song is described as full-on power pop with punkish elements, featuring Carlile at full throat, milking every note with invigorating energy. Lyrically, the track leans into themes of rebellion against tyranny and standing up for the people, channeling a classic rock and roll, anti-establishment ideal.
Hannah Francis Genre Shifts
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(00:08:40)
  • Key Takeaway: Hannah Francis’s album Nested in Tangles is a study in constant, subtle sonic shifts, blending jazz, classical, and folk elements.
  • Summary: The featured track, “The Space Between (feat. Daniel Rossen),” showcases sonic evolutions including chamber pop, psych folk, and art rock, with Rossen contributing vocals, cello, piano, and percussion. The album invites deep listening due to its nuanced approach to genre blending, with the previous album, Keeper of the Shepherd, focusing on her father.
Kelly Moran’s Prepared Piano
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(00:18:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Kelly Moran’s Don’t Trust Mirrors utilizes prepared piano techniques to create calming yet dissonant sounds reflecting themes of self-observation through distortion.
  • Summary: Moran specializes in prepared piano, where objects are placed on or between the strings to alter the sound, creating metallic clattering and tinkling effects. The title track embodies the album’s theme of piecing oneself back together after observing oneself through reflection and distortion. Moran’s artistry lies in her real-time interaction with the sounds generated by the prepared instrument.
Blood Orange Grief Elegy
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(00:26:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Blood Orange’s “The Last of England” from Essex Honey merges heartbreaking elegy with euphoric drum and bass to process grief and gratitude for life.
  • Summary: The song opens with a home recording of Dev Hynes, his mother, and sister shortly before his mother’s passing, setting a tone of reflection on loss. The track beautifully captures the conflict between the pain of loss and the joy/gratitude of having known the person, exemplified by the shift to propulsive drum and bass. Hynes often surrounds plain-spoken reflections on big feelings with incredible, complex music.
Magdalena Bay Experimental Pop
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(00:34:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Magdalena Bay’s single “Second Sleep” showcases their experimental pop style, incorporating elements from their past as a Prague rock band.
  • Summary: The duo’s music is characterized as shifty, distorted, dreamy, and surreal, checking all the boxes for an uncanny soundscape. The song escalates significantly, moving beyond initial dance-pop expectations into something huge and complex. The hosts noted that their background as a Prague rock band is audible in the track’s structure.