Album Reviews

Natalie Merchant’s first solo outing after leaving 10,000 Maniacs, issued in 1995, was among her finest records. For those who may have found her earlier work overblown and precious, the understated, acoustic setting, provided by a trio of then relative unknowns, proved ideal for a set of introspective set pieces dealing with issues of loss, jealousy, escape, sacrifice, loneliness, stardom and martyrdom delivered with cozy intimacy. No wonder it became a big seller.

Backing Merchant, who contributes keyboards and Vibraphone, are the rhythm section of bassist Barrie Maguire and drummer Peter Yanowitz (both of whom went on to join Jacob Dylan in The Wallflowers) and guitarist Jennifer Turner who’s still at it somewhere, though not as visibly as the others.

Personally, I’ve never been a Merchant fan, but this rich and thoughtful record has caused me to reconsider. I am a fan of Tigerlily.

The Bearsville Studios (once threatened with being sold and dismantled but still going strong) recording is velvety-rich, warm and inviting. The original CD never sounded like this!

Mo-fi has done a superb job transferring the tracks to 180g 45rpm vinyl. If you’re a fan of this album, you will not be disappointed: you’ve never heard it sounding remotely as fine as it does here. If you’re not a Merchant fan, or simply not familiar, you’ll find in Tigerlily a consistently engaging and tuneful album worth repeated listening (especially late at night). When you’re spending this kind of scratch, that’s important!