Tails by Lisa Loeb | Album Review
Lisa Loeb’s debut showcases her songwriting prowess in the indie pop/rock world.
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.
The album opens on the slightly more folk driven “It’s Over.” Loeb takes you through the depths of turmoil and emotional destruction that have welled up through the end of a relationship. What she’s afraid of is him rising her to some impossible level, “Too many things held precious/ Too many things held dear;/ That’s what I hate/ And that’s what I fear.”
The duality of wanting to keep the relationship alive yet just barely holding on to the foundation can be heard in the lines, “From the outside/ To the inside/ I couldn’t tell you how it really was/ There has to be more on one hand/ Keep your head above water on the other, the other.” The final lines point to the death of this relationship, setting her free. Compared to the acoustic Purple Tape demo, adding electric guitars helped cut the singer/songwriter sound of the prior version.
A fantastic evolution comes from “Snow Day.” She opts for a more 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 transformations is on “Hurricane.” The song absolutely blooms through the orchestral string section. She takes a more poetic license at the tale of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This woman that appears to be a safe place will only destroy you in the end. By the song’s bridge, we go from warnings of this woman to meeting her, “‘I’ve compassion for strangers/ An affinity for danger/ Won’t you be my sacrifice?’/ ‘I’m a lightheaded wonder,’ She said.” Loeb sees through this. The song ends on this sort of crumbling mix of guitars that seem to mirror the passing of this hurricane of a woman.
One of the oldest tracks to make the album is “Garden of Delights,” which can be traced back to her Liz and Lisa days. We continue the themes of love in friction. It appears despite their tense moments, she still gets the butterflies around him, “You see my face/ You hate my words/ I hate you too/ You see my heart/ It likes the feeling/ That it gets when I’m with you.” She even alludes to a sense of martyrdom with a comparison to Jesus. In the end, even though they clash, she still sees a paradise here with him.
The remaining tracks were written specifically for the album.
“When All The Stars Where Falling” takes us in a country western direction. Loeb takes a much softer approach on this track. We seem to be alluding to falling of one’s goals to make them fall back to the surface.
I really like the final verse, “Now the peace you will find, in your own you have found,/ the lights of the city are the stars on the ground./ ‘I may not be a quaalude living in a speed zone,’/ But I could be restful, I could be someone’s home,/ if I fell down,/ and I fell down,” which takes us full circle on emotions around these crumbling notions. She’s taken solace in her own at this point. The dreamier vibe really works well with the words.
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.
“Rose-Colored Times” continues in on the punchier pseudo-acoustic indie rock vibe that other tracks have fashioned quite well. The story Lisa has written takes us through the rough life of a young girl. This child appears to be very neglected by her mother, “Rusty the screen door, she opened it/ Raised from the ground/ Mamma left me her ring/ Mamma left me no family/ Just barstools, and boyfriends/ And whisky, and nighttime/ And bedtime.” Our bridge spills into a lull of strings and guitars as she tells of this man whom she has to live with now.
“Sandalwood” is a quiet acoustic track around all the things Loeb loves about this man she’s met. The title alludes to the scent that perfumes his skin. Although clearly a song about lust, Lisa keeps it rather tender. She only wishes to show affection towards him, “I want to kiss the back of your neck/ The top of your spine where your hair hits/ And gnaw on your fingertips and fall asleep/ I’ll talk you to sleep.” All of this feels very intimate from the stripped-down sound. A full band version of the track was released on the “Waiting for Wednesday” single. This take makes the track feel much dreamier compared to the original.
“Alone” kicks in some grittier college rock guitar tones throughout the track. The electric guitars drag in a way that reminds me of the sepia tones of nineties college rock videos. Loeb is grabbling with the loneliness she feels being isolated from the man she’s thinking about, “So what is this weather/ And what is this darkness/ And why do I feel so alone?/ When will it snow/ It’s been raining for hours/ And why do I feel so alone?” Between these moments, Lisa wistfully thinks of this man's wondrous traits. I quite like the bit of edge she brings sonically alongside the more sweet lyrics.
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.
“Lisa Listen” is the album's most singer/songwriter-sounding track. The title refers to someone else’s attempt to tell her of her worth. She keeps this fairly ambiguous. The song opens with her unease about herself and those around her, “Who would steal Sunday?/ Who’d make them believe make believe?/ Who’d buy a prayer/ When you can pray for free?/ If the way you held your coffee/ Was the way you looked at me/ Then I could take both hands off the TV.”
This theme of questioning oneself flows through the album. The ending chorus sort of calls out her flightiness, “You’re tipsy, you’re turning/ You’ve got one foot on the floor/ You are alive/ You are burning/ You always wanted more.”
The stand-out track on the album is the final track, “Stay (I Missed You).” This is the song that jump-started Loeb’s career without being signed to a label. This would also introduce us to not only Lisa’s brand of indie rock but heartfelt songwriting style. “Stay” highlights this argument between this couple that leaves the woman missing him in the end. On the second verse of the song, Loeb writes:
I say, “You say I talk so all the time,” then I go on to talk a lot. I’m like, “So. That’s okay.” “And I thought what I felt was simple. And I thought that I don’t belong. And now that I am leaving. Now I know that I did something wrong.” I think those lyrics reflect when you’re in the moment. You’re almost like a child. You’re like, “I’m done with this! I’m done with you!” But then when you leave the room, you realize, “Oh shoot. I cut my nose off to spite my face. I actually miss you. I missed you. I actually wanna be back with you. Even if I have all these terrible feelings, I still wanna be back.
There’s a firing back of both truthful yet hurtful takes on her that she can’t quite handle, “And you say I only hear what I want to/ I don’t listen hard/ I don’t pay attention to the distance that you’re running/ Or to anyone, anywhere/ I don’t understand if you really care/ I’m only hearing negative, no, no, no (Bad).” Loeb plays a very interesting point of view between both characters by the song’s end. You end up unsure if he wants her to stay or if she just thinks he does.
I think it really goes to show Loeb’s tenacity as an artist and musician to be able to craft her own corner in 90s music. Everything is very fresh and upbeat. I like that in moments of depression and confusion, the music provides a safety net to carry us through. This is something that Lisa’s cadence could only pull off effortlessly.
Another nice aspect of this project is its more timeless sound. Tails has aged rather well. I find it rather hard to come up with any skippable tracks on this record. Although cohesive sonically, each track brings something unique to the table. My only negative would be the perceived sense of sweetness that some of Loeb’s tracks may give off.
My overall thoughts on Lisa Loeb’s debut:
Loved it: “Snow Day,” “Taffy,” “When All The Stars Were Falling,” “Do You Sleep?,” “Hurricane,” “Alone,” “Waiting for Wednesday,” “Sandalwood,” “Stay (I Missed You).”
Liked it: “It’s Over,” “Rose-Colored Times,” “Lisa Listen,” & “Garden of Delights.”
Disliked it: None
My overall rating: 8.5 out of 10.
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