ALBUM REVIEW: LISSIE CAPTIVATES WITH ‘CATCHING A TIGER’ RELEASE

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

I have written about a song from the goddess before, but Lissie’s debut album has finally been released, and I can say, it’s a diamond in the rough. Catching A Tiger is hands down one of the strongest releases of summer, if not the whole year. I have been anticipating the release all year. Bold? Perhaps, but I support the record 100 percent.

On last year’s EP Why You Runnin’, Lissie left listeners inquisitive to hear more from this Midwestern chick (whose first solo recording was being produced by Band of Horses’ Bill Reynolds) whose soulful husk spilled from their speakers. A drop-dead stunning girl with pipes to match, Lissie plays the guitar, writes her own jams, and sings songs in a genre all her own. The Illinois native has songwriting abilities that become apparent through not only neat, but firm lyrics with harmonious structures in which to abide her tales of jaded love.

Bullet pointed, let’s start from the top. The clattering pots-and-pans thumping that greets the listener turns into a distinctive little album jump off with Record-Collector, which listeners will instantaneously be drawn to. Why? It’s got a polka-breakdown and dramatic cords. How many songs like that are out right now? Seriously. Then When I’m Alone takes over, telling the tale of this lonesome girl in hopes of drawing a crowd — I turned my back you were gone in a flash, like you always do, you’ve always gone off somewhere else. She’s telling you a story, and wants you to listen. It showcases the most astounding part of this woman: her pipes and range. It makes me wonder how such a big sound can come from such a little body. The release leisurely rolls into Little Lovin, which ties in the Stevie Nicks influence, with the impudence of a country singer and enticing delivery of a folk-rock goddess. And let’s not forget Everywhere I Go , in which I touched on a few months ago on BTB. It’s such a powerful song, stating Angels will call on me now, everywhere I go. Indeed, her voice is heavenly, but the lyrics alone could bring one to tears. This track and Bully will literally tear at your heart strings — a song with a completion as subtle as any Mariah Carey power ballad, Lissie’s incredibly heartfelt and executed torch song highlights the extraordinary vocal talent she possesses.

Over the past year she’s taken on covers of Bob Dylan, Metallica, Lady Gaga, and so many more. But don’t let this diverse combination turn you off. Her debut full-length is solely her own material. Catching A Tiger is neither generic or cliche, with lyrics disguised within airy, upbeat and indisputably atmospheric songs dashed in California guitar-rock nostalgia.

High praise indeed, but her versatility, her confidence and her utter comfort ability with folk, country and rock idioms is readily evident on this release. It seems impracticable for a debut to sound so accomplished and mature, but Lissie seems to be that rare exception. Please check it out, if not because of this article, let your curiosity of an artist in this genre sell you.

So, was my hype machine justified? Don’t get me wrong, there are problems with Catching a Tiger: it’s not wholly filler-free, it’s not taking any massive musical risks, and it’s one of those albums that you just know will be even better in a live setting. That being said, this is a concrete foundation for things to come; and when the star player is Lissie’s voice, those things are surely a-comin’.