If someone brings up Lisa Loeb, you will likely bring up her 1994 smash “Stay (I Missed You).” She seemingly came out of nowhere, with no record label to her name, to have a hit song off of the Reality Bites soundtrack. Many probably don’t know that Loeb had been working tirelessly to craft her skills in the industry and shape a sound all her own. In a time period of rising female singer/songwriters like Ani Difranco and Sarah McLachlan, Lisa wanted to stand out.
“I didn’t want to be too reactive after the success of ‘Stay,’ but I also didn’t just want to be pushed into the ‘acoustic’ corner. I didn’t want to be seen as a folk artist at all. My music sounded like a band and I felt like the lead singer of my band; just like some of my favorite male music artists like David Bowie or Elvis Costello. However, during that period, if a female artist went by just her name, most people assumed you were a folk artist. That’s why I wanted to make sure my band name was included on everything and why I wanted to be seen and heard playing guitar. I realized early on that if you want people to know something about you, you have to show them.” While promoting her single “Stay,” she would join Juan Patino in the
studio to record new songs along with staples from her Liz and Lisa and
Purple Tape days. What came out of the process would be a joyous blend
of pensive indie-rock and a sweetness that only Loeb can provide. It’s a
subtle sweetness, never overpowering but welcoming. First, let’s discuss the re-recordings of older songs in Loeb’s catalog.
A fantastic evolution comes from “Snow Day.” Lisa opts for a finger-style guitar intro that completely evokes the falling of snow. The electric guitars add brightness and warmth to the song. Lisa dives into the themes of loneliness and depression on the track. She continually calls back to someone being her medicine to this solemn mood. The depths of this sadness are fully displayed in the lines, “It’s a sinking feeling/ Pulls me through the seat of chairs/ When will you come rescue me/ Find solace, and then take me there?” There is an interesting juxtaposition of the upbeat sound of the music against the soft sadness of her lines. Because of this, the song feels like a mantra to keep moving forward as some days it's just “It’s a long ride.”
“Do You Sleep?” keeps the absolutely beautiful fade in guitar loop at the song's beginning. It maintains this dream-like feeling as you open up into this indie rock-driven world. The themes of love lost continue through Loeb’s questioning of how he’s managing since she’s gone, “Do you eat sleep do you breathe me anymore?/ Do you sleep do you count sheep anymore?/ Do you sleep anymore?/ Do you take plight on my tongue like lead?/ Do you fall gracefully into bed anymore?” Lisa is at her breaking point. She’s more than ready to cut ties and end this with this closed-off man. The song ends how it opens, now fading out on the loop. It’s like waking from this dream.
One of the best indie rock tracks on the album is the complete earworm “Taffy.” The punchiest track on the album, Loeb’s electric guitar-filled ditty swells you forward as it kicks off. The title is a nod to stretching the truth like candy machines stretch out taffy. Each verse sees Lisa bumping her friend til they bruise from all the tall tales this person is apt to tell. To match the slightly light yet charged tone, Loeb treats the chorus like busting someone’s chops than chastising, “Actually, bottom line/ You tell the truth sometimes/ Sometimes you tell the truth/ Like you’re pulling taffy.” It’s one of the best upbeat tracks on the record.
The album's second, more indie rock-forward song is “Waiting for Wednesday.” The title alludes to the day she’s waiting on to see if she gets her period. She goes through all the emotions of worrying about this pregnancy scare and wondering if her boyfriend will stay or run from her. She weaves back and forth between wanting to confront him on her cowardice and being petrified about the notion of his reaction. She ends this out readying her mind to tell him, “Now I’m waiting for Wednesday/ You’re back from out of town/ The West is dry/ Your mind is clear/ And I don’t want to be here.” I find this to be a very eye-opening take on the woman’s perspective on these scenarios, something that wasn’t as openly talked about in the early 90s.
From: https://medium.com/the-riff/tails-by-lisa-loeb-album-review-d07c3318acd5
