I recently caught up with the season finale of Joss Whedon's fantastic show Dollhouse last night (read my reactions to the show here) and one of the things that caught my ears was the song used in the last couple minutes of the show, Everywhere I Go, by Lissie.
Hailing from Rock Island, Illinois, Lissie Maurus's debute EP, Why You Runnin', is a quiet, unreserved collection of five songs that just bubble with potential. Numerous critics have already been taking an interest in her music, and for good reason: there's a good sound to this young lady, packed into just a couple of songs. Balancing acoustic rock, folk and bluegrass together, Why You Runnin' is a diverse blend, starting off with the jumping Little Lovin', the echo ladened Hank Williams cover Wedding Bells, delicate Piano ballad Oh Missisippi and my favorite off the album, Everywhere I Go before wrapping up with the soft Here Before. Her voice is strong and sounds very, very good to me, in a smokey, seductive way that just works as she goes up and down the register.
Female singer/songwriters are sometimes hit or miss for me, but Lissie hits a lot of the high points with this EP. The sounds here are very scattered, but for a new artist, that's not necessarily a bad thing: she demonstrates that she can play in a number of different ways and styles, and has a number of options to where she can go next. Hopefully, with the eventual full length release, we will see some more refinement and continuity between styles, but already, she is off to a fairly good start.
Everywhere I Go - Lissie
