The Spirit Room

The Spirit Room
Studio album by
Michelle Branch
ReleasedAugust 14, 2001
StudiosAnanda, Sunset Sound, Henson (Hollywood, California)
Genres
Length42:26
Labels
Producer
Michelle Branch chronology
Broken Bracelet
(2000)		 The Spirit Room
(2001)		 Hotel Paper
(2003)
Alternative cover
Limited edition international cover
Singles from The Spirit Room
  1. "Everywhere"
    Released: June 11, 2001[1]
  2. "All You Wanted"
    Released: January 7, 2002[2]
  3. "Goodbye to You"
    Released: July 8, 2002[3]

The Spirit Room is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Michelle Branch. It was released by the Maverick Recording Company and Warner Bros. Records in the United States on August 14, 2001.[4] The album was recorded at Sunset Sound, Henson Recording Studios and Ananda Studios in Hollywood, California and mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Marcussen Mastering in Los Angeles, California. Its title was inspired by a bar in Jerome, Arizona, near Branch's hometown of Sedona.

The album received generally positive critical reception, with reviewers praising Branch's songwriting, vocals, lyrical directness, and accessible pop-rock sound, although some criticized her vocal distinctiveness, production, and songwriting originality. Commercially, The Spirit Room became Branch's biggest success, selling 3 million copies worldwide, spending 86 weeks on the Billboard 200, and earning a 2× Platinum certification in the United States. Its success was boosted by hit singles, including "Everywhere," "All You Wanted," and "Goodbye to You," which reached numbers 12, 6, and 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.

Background

Before The Spirit Room, Michelle Branch established herself as a singer-songwriter through local performances and independent recordings.[5] Her parents supported her musical interests by helping her book performances in Sedona and financing her debut album, Broken Bracelet.[5] Her early set lists included covers of songs by artists such as Sheryl Crow, Lisa Loeb, Jewel, and Fleetwood Mac, alongside her own compositions. In December 1999, Branch uploaded two original songs to the Rolling Stone website, which attracted the attention of pop-rock band Hanson and producer Jeff Rabhan.[5] The exposure led to Branch opening for Hanson at two concerts in 2000, followed by the release of her debut album later that year, through Twin Dragon Records.[5] In 2001, Branch signed with Maverick Records and began working with producer John Shanks on her major-label debut.[5]

Artwork and title

The album's title comes from the name of a bar in Jerome, Arizona, near Branch's hometown of Sedona.[6] The album cover was shot in an industrial area across from an electrical substation in Los Angeles, California alongside the Los Angeles River facing north-west at the skyline during sunset.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar[8]
Entertainment WeeklyB[9]
The GuardianStarStarStar[10]
New York PostStarStarHalf star[11]
QStarStarStarStar[12]
The Village VoiceC[13]

AllMusic's Liana Jonas praised The Spirit Room as a "worthy pop/rock debut," highlighting Branch's "substantial vocal presence" and emotionally open songwriting. She particularly praised "Everywhere" for its infectious sound and called "Drop in the Ocean" the album's "most captivating moment."[8] Rolling Stone's John D. Luerssen called the album an "impressive entrance," praising Branch's songwriting, conviction, and distinctive voice. He noted that the album appealed to listeners "disillusioned by the vapid teen pop scene," despite its occasionally "dated, canned drum production."[14] Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian praised Branch's "lyrical directness" and "sure hand with memorable melodies," particularly on "Here with Me" and "Everywhere." She ultimately described The Spirit Room as "a promising start," while comparing Branch favorably with Alanis Morissette and Dido.[10] The New York Post's Dan Aquilante praised the album for its "heartfelt, intelligent lyrics about love and growing up" and Branch's strong songwriting. However, he found her voice "very standard," noting that she stood out most on "Sweet Misery" and "Drop in the Ocean."[11] Robert Christgau was sharply critical of The Spirit Room, giving it a C and dismissing the marketing of Branch as "the anti-Britney." He questioned the originality of her songwriting, arguing that her hit material was co-written with producer John Shanks.[13]

Commercial performance

With 3 million copies sold worldwide, The Spirit Room became Branch's best-selling album and established her as a major commercial success of the early 2000s.[15] With 3 million copies sold worldwide, The Spirit Room remains Branch's best-selling album.[16] In the United States, the album debuted at number 28 on the Billboard 200,[17] selling 68,000 copies in its first week.[18] It went on to spend 86 weeks on the chart, making it Branch's longest-charting album in the United States.[17] By July 2003, it had sold 1.8 million copies domestically,[19] and on August 19, 2011, it was certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA for shipments exceeding two million copies.[15]

The album also achieved success internationally, particularly in Japan, where it peaked at number 12 and was certified Platinum for 200,000 units.[20][21] It also reached number 25 in Australia,[22] 33 in New Zealand,[23] 45 in Switzerland,[24] 54 in the United Kingdom,[25] 75 in Germany,[26] 89 in the Netherlands,[27] and 120 in France.[28] In Canada, although The Spirit Room did not appear on the chart, the album was certified gold, selling 50,000 copies in October 2003.[29] In Australia, it was also certified gold with shipments of 35,000.[30] It also was certified Silver in the United Kingdom, with 60,000 certified units or sales/streams respectively.[31]

Legacy

In 2021, Branch revealed that Taylor Swift had told her The Spirit Room had been a major influence on her own music.[32][33] The same year, Branch decided to celebrate its anniversary by re-recording the album and pressing it on vinyl for the first time.[34] On September 10, 2021, she performed the album in its entirety during a special virtual concert. An afterparty and Q&A session followed.[35]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Michelle Branch, with additional co-writers as noted; except for "Life on Mars", which was written by David Bowie.

The Spirit Room track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Everywhere"
3:36
2."You Get Me"
3:53
3."All You Wanted" 3:38
4."You Set Me Free"
  • Shanks
3:11
5."Something to Sleep To"
  • Jennifer Hagio
  • Shanks
4:15
6."Here with Me"
  • Shanks
3:26
7."Sweet Misery" 3:43
8."If Only She Knew" 4:19
9."I'd Rather Be in Love" 3:55
10."Goodbye to You" 4:12
11."Drop in the Ocean"
  • Hagio
  • Will Golden
  • Bernie Reilly
4:19
Total length:42:26
North American digital deluxe edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Life on Mars" 3:42
13."All You Wanted" (unplugged) 3:34
14."Everywhere" (acoustic)
  • Shanks
3:34
iTunes Store deluxe edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Life on Mars" 3:42
13."Goodbye to You" (unplugged) 4:10
14."All You Wanted" (unplugged) 3:34
15."Everywhere" (acoustic)
  • Shanks
3:34
16."Goodbye to You" (music video) 3:56
17."All You Wanted" (music video) 3:40
18."Everywhere" (music video) 3:33
20th anniversary re-recorded release
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Paper Pieces" 3:38
13."Everywhere" (alternate version)
  • Shanks
4:26

Singles

  • "Everywhere" – July 17, 2001
  • "All You Wanted" – October 28, 2001[36]
  • "Goodbye to You" – September 9, 2002[37]

Personnel

Musicians

Production

  • Danny Strick – A&R
  • John Shanks – producer
  • Marc DeSisto – engineer, mixing (6, 8–11)
  • Lars Fox – engineer, Pro Tools editing
  • Steve Kaplan – assistant engineer
  • Monique Mizrahi – assistant engineer
  • Tom Nellen – assistant engineer
  • Jason Rankins – assistant engineer
  • Chris Reynolds – assistant engineer
  • Jason Schweitzer – assistant engineer
  • Jamie Sickora – assistant engineer
  • Chris Lord-Alge – mixing (1, 3, 4)
  • Dave Way – mixing (2, 5, 7)
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering at Marcussen Mastering (Hollywood, California)
  • Robert Cappadona – production coordination
  • Shari Sutcliffe – production coordination
  • Kim Biggs – art direction
  • David Harlan – art direction
  • Shoshannah Day Strauss – design
  • Matthew Welch – photography

Enhanced CD credits

  • Holly Adams – producer
  • Nick Spanos – producer
  • Jeremy Welt – producer
  • Mike Donk – creation

Use in media

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for The Spirit Room
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[30] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[29] Gold 50,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[21] Platinum 200,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[31] Silver 60,000‡
United States (RIAA)[15] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "Impact Dates". Gavin Report. No. 2343. June 8, 2001. p. 46.
  2. ↑ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1433. December 21, 2001. p. 28. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1460. July 5, 2002. p. 29. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  4. ↑ Michelle Branch: The Spirit Room. Maverick/Warner Bros. Records. August 2001.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Melissa Worden (September 14, 2001). "Breakout: Michelle Branch". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 15, 2001.
  6. ↑ "Michelle Branch: "She's Everywhere"". MTV. 2001. Archived from the original on October 6, 2001. Retrieved May 23, 2010. in front of this bar called the Spirit Room.
  7. ↑ "Google Earth".
  8. 1 2 Jonas, Liana. "Michelle Branch: The Spirit Room". AllMusic. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  9. ↑ Morgan, Laura (March 17, 2020). "The Spirit Room (Michelle Branch)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Sullivan, Caroline (April 11, 2002). "A carnival of romance". The Guardian. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  11. 1 2 Aquilante, Dan (August 14, 2001). "Michelle Branch: The Spirit Room". New York Post. Archived from the original on February 8, 2004. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  12. ↑ "CD Reviews at CD Universe".
  13. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "Michelle Branch: The Spirit Room". The Village Voice – via robertchristgau.com.
  14. ↑ D. Luerssen, John (August 12, 2001). "Michelle Branch: The Spirit Room". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2007.
  15. 1 2 3 "American album certifications – Michelle Branch – The Spirit Room". Recording Industry Association of America.
  16. ↑ "Michelle Branch - The Trouble with Fever Tour (Postponed) at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville". Do615.
  17. 1 2 3 "Michelle Branch Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  18. ↑ Martens, Todd (July 2, 2003). "Beyonce, Branch Albums Storm The Chart". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
  19. ↑ "Ashanti Returns To No. 1 With 'Chapter II'". Billboard. July 9, 2003. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  20. 1 2 "ザ・スピリット・ル-ムミシェル・ブランチ" (in Japanese). Oricon news. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  21. 1 2 "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2002年5月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. May 2002 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). 512. Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan: 12. July 10, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  22. 1 2 "Australiancharts.com – Michelle Branch – The Spirit Room". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  23. 1 2 "Charts.nz – Michelle Branch – The Spirit Room". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  24. 1 2 "Swisscharts.com – Michelle Branch – The Spirit Room". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  25. 1 2 "Official Albums Chart on 21/4/2002 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  26. 1 2 "Offiziellecharts.de – Michelle Branch – The Spirit Room" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  27. 1 2 "Dutchcharts.nl – Michelle Branch – The Spirit Room" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  28. 1 2 "Lescharts.com – Michelle Branch – The Spirit Room". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  29. 1 2 "Canadian album certifications – Michelle Branch – The Spirit Room". Music Canada.
  30. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2002 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  31. 1 2 "British album certifications – Michelle Branch – The Spirit Room". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Formats field. Type The Spirit Room Michelle Branch in the "Search:" field.
  32. ↑ White, Adam (August 14, 2021). "Michelle Branch on The Spirit Room at 20: 'It was allowed to remain authentically teenage'". The Independent. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Michelle Branch On Influencing Taylor Swift & Re-Recording 'The Spirit Room'". Nylon. September 8, 2021.
  34. ↑ Irvin, Jack (August 13, 2021). "Michelle Branch is back in The Spirit Room, 20 Years Later". MTV News. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  35. ↑ Bogedon, Kara (August 26, 2021). "Michelle Branch celebrates 20th anniversary of 'The Spirit Room' with re-recording of album". Bandwagon. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  36. ↑ "World Jazz Top 20 Singles (2001-08-30)".
  37. ↑ "Michelle Branch :: Goodbye to You [RADIO202_09B-09]".
  38. ↑ "All 26 songs from the What a Girl Wants (2003) Soundtrack".
  39. ↑ "Top 200 Albums of 2002 (based on sales)". Jam!. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  40. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  41. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2003". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
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