The Calling (Mary Chapin Carpenter album)

The Calling is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, released by Zoë Records on March 6, 2007. Carpenter had previously been on Columbia Nashville, this being her first release after leaving Columbia and first studio album since 2004's Between Here and Gone. Like her previous album, she wrote every track on the album, and it rose to No. 10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

From the album, two singles were released, "On With the Song" and "It Must Have Happened", but neither of which charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs.

Reception
Thom Jurek of AllMusic gave the album 4-out-of-5-stars and said: "Time will tell, of course, but in The Calling, Carpenter may have her finest moment yet; it also feels like an artistic rebirth. These songs come from her marrow and the conviction she sings them with proves it. Carpenter and her co-producer Matt Rollings should be awfully proud of this one."

Track listing
All songs written by Mary Chapin Carpenter.
 * 1) "The Calling" - 4:17
 * 2) "We're All Right"  - 3:47
 * 3) "Twilight" - 4:30
 * 4) "It Must Have Happened" - 4:05
 * 5) "On and on It Goes" - 4:20
 * 6) "Your Life Story" - 4:20
 * 7) "Houston" - 5:45
 * 8) "Leaving Song" - 4:02
 * 9) "On With the Song" - 3:58
 * 10) "Closer and Closer Apart" - 4:31
 * 11) "Here I Am" - 4:17
 * 12) "Why Shouldn't We" - 5:04
 * 13) "Bright Morning Star" - 4:55

Production

 * Mary Chapin Carpenter, Matt Rollings - producers
 * Chuck Ainlay - engineer, mixing
 * Scott Kidd - engineer
 * Bob Ludwig - mastering

Personnel

 * Mary Chapin Carpenter - vocals, acoustic guitar
 * Eric Darken - percussion, vibraphone
 * John Jennings - dulcimer, electric guitar, baritone guitar, background vocals
 * Russ Kunkel - drums, percussion, cajon
 * Dean Parks - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar
 * Matt Rollings - Hammond organ, piano, accordion
 * Glenn Worf - bass guitar