"Retrospective" suggests a compilation, but the "piano" in the title of
When I'm Alone: The Piano Retrospective is the giveaway on
Lissie's 2019 album: this isn't a compilation chronicling a career but rather a revisiting of a songbook. By placing herself at a piano with nothing more than her songs -- she also sings
Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams," a tacit acknowledgment that her cover of "Go Your Own Way" racked up millions of plays online.
Lissie threads "Dreams" into her own songs quite seamlessly, its presence suggesting the singer/songwriter's debt not just to
Stevie Nicks but Laurel Canyon troubadours, but the more impressive thing about
When I'm Alone is how her songbook coheres. Stripped of the modern accouterments that distinguish her studio records, her songs seem textured, bold, and powerful, commanding attention instead of seducing -- and that shift makes
When I'm Alone not only worth a listen, but turns the album into a worthy introduction to a singer/songwriter whose charms are sometimes flattened by shiny productions. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine