Thanks for this - I love Carrie to get more serious write-ups from the musical side of the business - she deserves that side of her work to be highlighted, as well as the more entertainer focused side of publicity articles.
It's good to read some of the production details - I was especially interested in what they said about "Cry Pretty". The references to the musicians underline how the recordings really are a collaborative process - they will defer to, and build around the singer, but she will also draw from their specializations, and if she's comfortable with the sound, especially if she's often worked with them before, the result may be close to the final sound
Carrie's favourite studio microphone, the Telefunken - which she's modified herself (a sign of the care she takes over the perfection of her recordings) - has an interesting history. It began more than half a century ago, when German and Austrian broadcasting were recovering from wartime devastation. Some versions are still made, but originals can cost many thousands of dollars, and are much sought after in recording.
https://telefunken-elektroakustik.com/microphones/ela-m-251