Lisa Loeb: Tails (1995)

Lisa Loeb burst onto the music scene in 1994 with her single "Stay (I Missed You)" from the Winona Ryder movie, "Reality Bites." The song was a huge hit, stayed at #1 for 3 weeks, and was certified gold. Remarkably, Lisa was not signed to a label; a bidding war ended with her recording "Tails" for Geffen. The CD was released with much hype in 1995, accompanied by the single "Do You Sleep?" She also wisely included "Stay" on the CD, which had only been available on the soundtrack previously. "Do You Sleep?" was a solid hit - peaking at #18 in late 1995. These two singles are terrific pop-rock, although pretty tame. A third single, "Waiting for Wednesday," failed to make much impact (#83 in 1996).

Lisa was one of the first of a wave of successful female singers in the late 90s who wrote and recorded introspective, pop-rock music. A large portion of the songs are about boys or failed relationships. She's kind of an earlier, less-angry version of Alanis Morissette or a nerdier Jewel. Most of the songs are undeniably catchy, but the lyrics are too often trite and immature, such as "It's a bad day/ You're my medicine" or "Sometimes you tell the truth like you're pulling taffy." In addition, her voice is lovely but sometimes a bit nasal and monotonous. Listening to "Tails" is perfectly pleasant, and "Stay" and "Do You Sleep?" are quite agreeable. However, it's a somewhat insubstantial CD that hasn't aged well.

Track list
1. It's Over
2. Snow Day
3. Taffy
4. When All The Stars Were Falling
5. Do You Sleep?
6. Hurricane
7. Rose-Colored Times
8. Sandalwood
9. Alone
10. Waiting For Wednesday
11. Lisa
12. Garden Of Delights
13. Stay

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