Lissie - Catching A Tiger

We will be the first to admit and advise that it's really not worth the effort of resisting Lissie Maurus' particularly ingratiating charms. Last fall's engaging EP Why You Runnin' was a "folksy but thoughtful melding of hymnlike chamber pop with a touch of Americana charm" we opined, a collection of songs from a naturally gifted singer/songwriter that has now yielded a full-length debut of uncommon and unpretentious stature: Catching A Tiger, arriving August 17 via indie Fat Possum. In a stroke of profound luck, Lissie had already lined up in-demand producer Jacquire King fresh from his work with The Kings of Leon and the new songs that make up her vibrant new Tiger have a bluesy, soulful edge. Of course it doesn't hurt to have a rafter-shaking, effortlessly rapturous voice with what we've described as a "nicotine stained huskiness."

Echoes of Fleetwood Mac-period Stevie Nicks can be found in the "Chain"-like fervor of "In Sleep" while "Oh Mississippi" -- a holdover from the Runnin' EP -- has a back-porch rustic feel laying betwixt a gospel hymn and folk dirge. But it is the swirling new U.K. single "Here Before" that really ties all the loose ends together in a breathtaking gallop of propelled bass lines and tumultuous but nimble vocal power. A perfect summer song that's all about tightly wound tension and exhilarating release, this just might wind up as one of the year's very best. On tour in England now, look for a major fall roll out for Chasing A Tiger. Highly recommended.

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Lissie - "When I'm Alone" (from the album Catching A Tiger)

Lissie - "In Sleep" (from the album Catching A Tiger)

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