She used to sing with with Damien Rice (my favorite musician for nearly 10 years) until he was a huge jerk and asked her to leave his tour (something he deeply regrets). Read the whole heartbreaking story here.
Although I hate that I never got to see them play together live, and although I think her voice is the ultimate compliment to his, I'm really glad she went off on her own to create music. It's quite different from what she did with Damien, and seems to suit her better. Performing live, she is actually really quirky and so sweetly endearing you could die; starkly different from her muse-to-the-folky-angst persona with Damien. In an interview I listened to on NPR a couple of years ago when her first album debuted, she called the sound "rusty custard", which could not be a better description. (If you don't have her first album, Sea Sew, then I also highly recommend it.)
I have been desperately excited for this new album, and pre-ordered it the moment I could a few months ago. I almost couldn't sleep last night and fought the mammoth urge to wake up at 2am just to listen to it after it downloaded into my itunes. However, as excited as I was, I was also quite nervous. How many times have you counted down the moments to the release of an album only to be disappointed? You then cling to the one semi-goodish song even though ultimately you know that it was an overall failure. Sea Sew is a great album, so how could she get better with Passenger? If anything, I knew it would probably be good, but still lacking the greatness of the first.
Let's cut to the chase. I've intently listened to the complete album straight through three time, replaying most of the songs individually a few times more, and already I'm completely confident to say Lisa's sophomore album, Passenger, is amazing. I might even be so bold to admit that I already like it better than Sea Sew. I know. Big deal.
This album feels more complete and confident, as if Lisa has grown more comfortable in her own, solo, voice. Her sound, although retaining the same sweetness, has become bigger and sometimes more complex. Where Sea Sew is more timid and endearing overall, Passenger is far more bold and commanding. Even in the softer songs, her voice is more saturated. There is also spectacular variation on this a album. You have a big ballad in "Home", a lilting duet with the incredible Ray LaMontagne (looove him) in "O Sleep", a couple sassy songs that make you want to get up and dance in "Knots" and "What'll I Do", and several different shades of passion throughout the rest.
So as for my favorite songs so far? "Home" and "Little Bird" both moved me to tears for some reason. I don't feel especially emotional right now, but something about those songs really get to me. It took a couple listens of "Home" to get to me, but with the tears came, THEY CAME. "Little Bird" was more of an instant cathartic wreck to my feelings. "Passenger" and "Safe Travels (Don't Die)" (and sort of the whole album in general) make me insanely nostalgic for my own travels (and the relationships I inevitably think about while traveling). I feel like I'd really love to listen to "What'll I Do" while riding around in Africa next summer and "O Sleep" when I'm falling asleep to a soft snow fall this winter. "A Sail" has some good banjo and heartache going on in it, and I also find "Paper House" and "Nowhere to Go" very poignant and beautiful. (Yeah, I sort of just named off the whole album as my "favorite songs"...)
Guys, if you like non-hipster-non-pretentious (also see: good) indie folk music, this album is for you. Buy it. It's the best 8 bucks you'll spend this month.
peace,
k.
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