Lissie seems to have been an artist that came out of nowhere. With her November 2009 release ‘Why You Runnin’ barely heard of in England, Lissie’s managed to become the word on everybody’s lips with the aid of an exceptional Gaga cover and an ITunes single of the week, entitled ‘In Sleep.’
She’s been playing many of the UK Festivals and her set at Brighton’s Great Escape Festival was not only one of her first but the one that proved her phenomenal talent to those watching. Videos of her set were up on youtube within hours, scoring thousands of hits by journalists and muso’s. The stand out of this set being her collaboration with Hereford’s finest, Ellie Goulding. Having formed a swift friendship with her, they performed a spine tingling version of Lissie’s ‘Everywhere I go’ together. This set sent alarms bells ringing in its spectators; this girl really is talented, her voice angelic yet edgily raw.
Lissie’s debut, ‘Catching A Tiger’ starts with, ‘Record Collector’ a sinister, progressive folk affair that gets increasingly intense as it goes along. “When I swore God, she spoke to me and she told me, oh yes, she told me of all the wonder that she could bring” Lissie sings as if she’s just been having a conversation with a phantom. This is followed by current single ‘When I’m Alone’, a more upbeat pop song and an honest account of her feelings.
Throughout the course of the album Lissie displays her soul to her listeners, from the urgent and naively dreamy fixation she showcases in the previous single ‘In Sleep’ to her adoration of The Mississippi River in her album closer ‘Oh Mississippi’ (co-written by Ed Harcourt), something which feels like it should be sung by a black servant in 1920’s America, or maybe that’s just me and my vast imagination. It certainly possesses gospel vibes anyway. That’s not to say her music sounds dated. In fact, her music is rather refreshing to the ear in an era where a band can consist of one man and his laptop.
Lissie exposes her feminist voice in ‘Stranger’ and offers extreme commercial potential in songs like ‘Loosen the Knot’ and ‘Cuckoo.’ I think that as soon as the rest of the world hears this album, Lissie will be repaid for her album efforts in huge ways. We get the impression that music has always been something firmly lodged in a place close to her heart as she seems to be one of those grounded, passionate American musicians (let’s not forgot she’s a competent guitarist too) that still possess a romantic imagination. In this album, Lissie blends pop music and American country folk in a blissful union, which will be heading through the airwaves of Britain very soon; Lissie will find her way off radio ‘C’ playlists and straight onto the A lists. The pop aspect makes her music radio friendly and the folk adds soul and warmth. It’s impossible not to fall in love with her honesty and charm as well as her captivating hooks. Expect big things from Lissie in the next few months.
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