Product Description It would be easy to misconstrue Lissie. Slight and blonde, a pretty, guitar-playing slip-of-a-thing, you might easily take her for a sweet Midwestern girl, a freckled balladeer borne of milk and cookies and cornfields. More fool you. For all the flaxen hair and big blue eyes, this girl is smart and gutsy and tough, with a big old voice to match it: Stevie Nicks taking Neko Case by the scruff of the neck, Laurel Canyon prettiness stewed in campfire and bourbon; there is, after all, a certain vocal quality that only a decade of beer and cigarettes can bring. 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It's the city that inspired Rock Island Line, and that bore Bix Beiderbecke, it's the stuff of spring floods and pick-up trucks and bona fide blue collar country music. In the spring of 2006 she moved to LA and started her own night with musician friends at a bar called Crane’s Hollywood Tavern in her neighbourhood, which she named Beachwood Rockers' Society. Little by little things seemed to come together; she recorded a five-track EP named Why You Runnin' with her friend Bill Reynolds of Band of Horses that caught something of a fire in the States last year. She headed to Nashville to record with Jacquire King (who was fresh from working with the Kings of Leon). What came out of it was the bulk of her debut album, Catching A Tiger; 12 songs that range from bluesy-folk to unfettered pop and showcase both her remarkable voice and her songwriting chops. Review 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. --Mike Diver Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off in a new window
E**D
Stunning Debut!
This album has racked up some serious air-time on my iPod and that is not because I put it on and disappear to do other things. When I stick this album on it gets listen to from start to finish and it has every part of my attention.Starting with Record Collector the album gets off to a great start. The finger tapping rhythms and great sound are enough to get me singing along and enjoying every minute of it. Then it gets better. "When I'm Alone" and "In Sleep" are probably two of the best songs on the album if I had to choose a couple that were better than the rest although its a harsh thing to do to this album. The swinging tune "When I'm Alone" is a stunner and it never gets skipped, NEVER. In Sleep is a slightly more upbeat song and it has a great chorus, mind you so does "When I'm Alone". Other stand out songs without going into too much depth are "Bully", "Cuckoo" a great up tempo song with lots of feel good factors about it, and the finisher "Oh Mississippi" a slow and sad number that closes a fantastic debut.In short, get this album, your collection shouldn't be without it and you are missing out on a great talent if you chose to ignore it!
R**S
So refreshing!
I kept hearing the song 'when I'm alone' on Radio 2, but Steve Wright didn't say who it was until yesterday!I downloaded the album from Amazon that same day without hearing anything else, which is something I very rearly do as I am very fussy where music is concerned. I'm pleased to say I'm glad I took the risk! This is a great album, it's so refreshing to here someone like this, with a great voice and song writing skill who is not following the same template as most artists these days.There's a mix of styles here, Folk, Rock, Blues and Pop, and it's all good! I'm only on my second listen and I love it already, which is another rare thing for me, as it usually takes a while for something to catch.If you are a fan of Female vocalists but fed up with Gaga, Rhianna, etc, etc.. This could be for you.
M**R
A great surprise
I had never heard of Lissie until recently when I heard hear latest single reviewed on BBC London. I bought this album on the strength of that (evan though the single is not on it!) and I must say I was very pleasantly surprised. All the tracks on the album are really good (without the usual couple of weak filler tracks you seem to get with most albums) and the most impressive aspect is the strength of her vocals, she really does have a great voice.The fact that someone with this amount of vocal and songwriting talent hasn't made a bigger impact says a lot about the music industry that seems to be geared around punting out lightweight commercial rubbish aimed at twelve year olds.
T**A
Raw talent - NOT xfactor manufactured
Great to see a relatively new artist that writes her own music, plays the guitar and has a voice that is different and full of meaning. She is sheer talent that's hard to find these days in all the manufactured bands and artists. She does her own stuff and doesn't seem to be influenced by the commercial side of pop, she is versatile and I heard her "live in Berlin" that shows off her raw talent, brilliant! Can't wait to see her in Manchester live in a couple of days. Her music grows on you although it may not be to everyones taste. Shame this album didn't include "Wedding Bells." Some great tracks to get a taste of her album "When I am alone" "In sleep" and "Every where I go" if you like her voice then you will get hooked. Think she is destined to be a big star. Try her album she is different.Just seen her live in Manchester WOW! Brilliant!
D**G
Oh My Goodness!
This is just wonderful, a really high quality album, with one of the great, great songs to close it...’Oh Mississippi’ is just staggering.
M**S
Surprising
I stumbled across Lissie after downloading all the freebie MP3s that Amazon were offering and finding the live version of A Little Lovin'.From that, I actually thought she was a country singer; not my usual style, but I couldn't get the song out of my head. I caved in and bought the album, and was very glad I did. It has quite a folksy vibe, but her voice is incredible and her song writing brilliant.She sings of love and longing, stand out tracks for me (apart from the one already mentioned) being In Sleep and When I'm Alone.Definitely an album worth having. It's also worth looking her up on YouTube for her cover songs too; Metallica's Nothing Else Matters is a particular gem!
J**N
Yes, I like it
I like it. It's different in that it's a bit more upbeat than the stuff I usually buy (Laura Marling being my other favourite at the mo) but yes, I like it. I can't quite place it in a genre because it's different to the usual stuff and it moves around a lot. It's sometimes 60's American, sometimes blues, sometimes Country music, sometimes just really settling and calm. I've listened to it a few times and it perks me up when songs appear in my 'Beautiful Music' playlist so am happy with this album and look forward to discovering what else she's done, and what she will do. I also like Joni, Florence & the Machine, Bat for Lashes, KT Tunstall etc.
C**W
Cracking debut - but nothing like Stevie Nicks..!
Coming from California and having blonde hair, Lissie has been widely hyped in the musical press as a new Stevie Nicks, and I must admit that this was part of the reason that I decided to check out her debut album for myself. However I must tell you that in my opinion nothing could be further from the truth...that is not to say that this album suffers from the comparison, just that it is not fair to wrongly pigeon-hole a new artist in this way when she does not sound even remotely like SN for the most part of the album and even the more rocky tracks are a far cry from Stevie's inimitable style.In my opinion, a more accurate comparison would be with the likes of Sheryl Crowe, KT Tunstall or Amy MacDonald. Even then Lissie has her own style and tackles a number of different genre over the course of the album - 'Stranger' even sounds disconcertingly like Buddy Holly's 'Every Day'Overall though, this is an excellent debut album and I would recommend people to give it a chance...just don't expect Stevie Nicks..!
