Catching a Tiger
Lissie
California native Lissie Maurus makes a man sick to his stomach. Not because she’s no good – rather the exact opposite. Catching a Tiger is a debut that dreams beyond typical new artist parameters. It is the work of a girl who looks, even with a fag hanging from her pale lips, like an alt-fashion model. But she sounds like one of the greatest female vocalists of a generation, arguably without even really trying.
High praise, but hang in there: qualification’s coming. Covers have courted attention in certain quarters of the press – Lady Gaga here (watch on Youtube), Metallica there (watch on Youtube) – and a live duet with Ellie Goulding (watch on Youtube) hasn’t harmed her chances of considerable exposure around the release of this 12-track collection of country-tinged radio rock (think late-60s, early-70s Laurel Canyon vibes, with more than a pinch of Fleetwood Mac, given a contemporary kick).
But beyond the gimmicks there’s a talent evident within seconds of opener Record Collector. Kitchen-cupboard percussion clatters, and then: “I’m tired of saying that I won’t get lost ever again… Who knows, maybe I will.” It’s half-spoken, half-sung; it sounds angelic like few voices have this side of the millennium bug meltdown that never was. Not wholly celestial, grounded as it is in spit and sawdust, but reaching for an emotional connect with the listener that few new artists can aim for without sounding forced, pushed to the very extremities of their abilities.
That’s why Lissie sounds special from the off: not once here does she enunciate uncomfortably, never overstretching to the detriment of the song in question. The way words tumble rapidly during the verses of When I’m Alone is nothing new, but they’re offset by pre-chorus peaks that make evident the way she can ease up the octaves with a confidence that will always lift an arrangement, however ordinary it is in comparison to its vocalist. Which is good, as there are relatively pedestrian pieces here; tracks that in the hands of another would fade from the memory faster than an early-doors Big Brother evictee. Cuckoo is hard strums and shimmery production but ultimately hollow of design, and Worried About stomps itself into a go-nowhere circle – but both are brightened brilliantly by vivacious, vitalised vocals.
Lissie does not fully earn her an-artist-apart stripes with Catching a Tiger, but all the signs are here. Give the girl a second and she’ll steal your heart; give her another album and she will, quite possibly, become untouchable.
Reviewed by Mike Diver
Ordinary, but not generic
Flawless album indeed. "This is a very ordinary album. If you miss it, don't worry, you won't have missed much." OK, thanks for the info. Now go and listen to your psychedelic rock and 8-bit electronica elsewhere, please :-)
Flawless album.
The production might be generic but these are some great songs and she's got an amazing voice.
она просто супер
shes amazing
Meh, I don't really like the album. It feels a a bit rushed and the production has a generic feel.
i start listening to this album and then i just can't stop
Amazing
this album is amazing! I don't give a damn what ppl say about it, I just love it
Świetna płytka, szkoda, że Polscy fani jeszcze nie mogą jej kupić "drogą legalnego posiadania"- polecam, polecam :)płyta bardzo energetyczna, optymistyczna
the songs are good, but the production is awfully MOR.
Definitel NOT ordinary. A very noteworthy record.
This is a very ordinary album. If you miss it, don't worry, you won't have missed much.
oh oh, so fresh
i think i have found the best album of 2010
I ordered this as an import because it won't be available in the US for a while. Comes out in the UK on June 21st. Some of the strongest tracks from the EP plus a bunch more that showcase her beautiful, intense voice. An amazing record!