Tigerlily

Natalie Merchant spent around twelve years as the lead singer of 10,000 Maniacs. With Joe Boyd producing their Elektra debut and records such as In My Tribe and Our Time in Eden earning devoted audiences, the band left a substantial body of work. She departed after the 1993 MTV Unplugged appearance, and two years later made this solo debut.

Self-produced and recorded at Bearsville in Woodstock, Tigerlily builds its sound from remarkably spare resources: Merchant’s piano and a small group of accompanying musicians. Yet that quietness has considerable strength. Her voice is immediately soothing, and the intimacy of the music allows the stillness of these songs to linger.

‘Carnival’, ‘Wonder’ and ‘Jealousy’ became hits; ‘River’ mourns River Phoenix, who died in 1993. ‘San Andreas Fault’, later covered in Japan by UA, is another standout. Those drawn to the more developed artistic world of this album should also hear its successor, Ophelia.