First Listen: Various Artists, Brandi Carlile's 'Cover Stories'

What makes a song personal? Obviously, songwriters are often confessional, but only some go deep enough to expose bone. They're as likely to mine details from distant sources: fiction, overheard conversations, someone else's memories. A listener can make anything personal, anyway, so maybe the question's moot. If a soda commercial is playing while you fall in love, it's your song.

A few musical souls, however, do seem