Catching A Tiger is every bit the vibrant debut promised by last fall’s Why You Runnin’ EP (Fat Possum), which introduced the heartland-native, California transplant Lissie. Why You Runnin’ amassed praise from Paste (‘Best of What’s Next’), Nylon, Filter, Marie Claire,Bust, and The Boston Globe, to name just a few.  Catching A Tiger and its advance In Sleep EP have already been earning rave reviews for this young songwriter across the pond in the UK (where the album is released today), with glowing coverage in The Sun,The Sunday Times, The Mirror (“One of the year’s true finds”), Time Out, The Big Issue, and the BBC.  Lissie’s UK press run was capped off last month with a transcendent performance of the hymn-like “Oh Mississippi” on the legendary Later…with Jools Holland.  Catching A Tiger also follows her 10-shows-in-4-days sprint at this year’s SXSW festival, a run that caught the attention of Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Perez Hilton, andAquarium Drunkard, among others.

Catching A Tiger was recorded in Nashville, TN, with Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones, Modest Mouse) and in Asheville, NC, with Bill Reynolds (of Band of Horses, who also produced most of Why You Runnin’).  The hand-clapping, foot-stomping “Little Lovin’” (which, like the Ed Harcourt-produced “Oh Mississippi,” and the haunting “Everywhere I Go,” is shared with Why You Runnin’) sits as the perfect bridge between the classic pop of “Bully” and the whirling, ‘60s girl group-reminiscent “Stranger.”  The stirring, unearthly  “Look Away,” meanwhile, evokes the clearly “folksy, Appalachian heart” (Bust) of last fall’s EP.  Yet when the unfettered pop of standout songs “When I’m Alone” and “In Sleep” is strung together with the eclectic shuffle “Record Collector” and the blazing “Loosen The Knot,” Lissie’s range and versatility shine.  And then there’s that remarkable, soulful voice that cuts straight to the core: powerful, achingly raw and soaked in sun, whiskey, and heartache.

“When I’m Alone” is currently taking root on both Radio 1 and Radio 2 playlists in the UK and a number of Lissie’s videos have recently lit up the blogs.  Her cover of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” has garnered over half a million views and her take on Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit Of Happiness,” released last week, is already catching extensive attention.  Live videos of new album tracks “In Sleep” and the recently released “Bully” have also been getting major traction, in addition to showcasing her captivating presence.

After hitting the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival earlier this month, Lissie will be on tour throughout the summer, playing in the U.S. on select Lilith Fair dates in August and the Austin City Limits Festival in October, as well as at major UK summer festivals Glastonbury, Bestival, iTunes Festival, V Festival, Latitude, and T in the Park.  More U.S. touring news will be announced soon.