Concert Thu Nov 12 2009

Lissie's New EP and Live Performance Tonight

Lissie is a pop/indie/country band with a pretty blond front-woman, Lissie Maurus, who hails from Rock Island but now lives in Ojai, CA. Why You Runnin' is her new EP, fresh off the presses from Fat Possum Records.

Why You Runnin' is good, probably best when it's knee-slappin' indie-country, like in the single, "Little Lovin'," which kicks off the EP with delicate picking on an acoustic guitar and crescendos into greatness with the help of a tambourine and an electric guitar, among other things. Then there is the melancholy country cover, "Wedding Bells," with heavily layered vocals, reminiscent of those of My Morning Jacket, and "Oh, Mississippi," the hymn-like tune that I could have sworn was Mississippi's state anthem, but it's not-- it's just a homesick tune Lissie wrote in London. The EP ends with "Everywhere I Go," which is a little too sappy, and "Here Before," the poppy ballad in which her voice really shines; all twisty and soulful.

Lissie's music, although country at heart, oscillates all over the place, which is a good thing, bringing to mind bands like Bonnie Raitt, Fleet Foxes, even Coldplay at times. She's obviously got a great voice and a great soul, so good that I wish it was left alone instead of polished up and over-produced as it tends to be on Why You Runnin'. I have a feeling her music, and her voice, really shines live. And lucky for us, we can hear it tonight at The Auditorium Theater when she opens for Ray LaMontagne. Doors open at 7:30. Tickets range from $29.50-$49.50. Go to Ticketmaster for tickets or call 800-745-3000.

— Kelly Reaves / Comments (0)