Rock/pop

Her name sounds a lot perkier—and a lot less worldly—than her music.

"I have a hard time categorizing it. Sometimes we're a rock band; sometimes we're singer-songwriter, kind of mellow," says 23-year-old Brandi Carlile, by phone. "It's different, that much I do know. And honest."

In the few months since her self-titled debut album hit store shelves, the relatively unknown singer-guitarist has found herself compared to everyone from Patsy Cline to Jeff Buckley—and her music called everything from alt-country to indie-pop. What everyone seems to agree on, however, are her standout, powerhouse vocals, which can turn from a bluesy growl to an aching falsetto on a dime.

Carlile's "partners in crime" are guitarist Tim Hanseroth and his bassist brother Phil, identical twins who co-wrote several songs on the record and are part of her five-member touring band. "We're having a blast," she says. "Every show, every city, is a little different—it keeps us a little on edge, which is great."

Fri., Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m., $15-$18, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.