8.4/10
2009 was a big year for Megan Washington; not only did she rise from musical obscurity to support big acts such as Kate Miller-Heidke and Grizzly Bear, she also appeared on big Aussie music quiz shows Rockwiz and Spicks and Specks. Her astonishing vocal delivery while singing classics through the words You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay on Spicks and Specks was what convinced me to pick up a copy of How To Tame Lions, Washington’s second EP.
How To Tame Lions starts with the high tempo Cement, a song about a lover writing some pretty personal information out on the street for all to see. The song starts with a strong drum beat followed by tumbling keys which announce that you’re being dragged down into her world. Megan’s fantastic musicianship and knack for a good vocal hook are revealed very early in the piece, leading the way for an energetic chorus and almost theatre style backing vocals near the end.
Second up is the title track, and easily the best thing Megan has produced so far. Starting with a solitary keyboard note, the song expertly flourishes from minimalistic electronica to one of the best choruses of the year “How do you tame a lion, when they are lying low, you’d be my Arthur Miller, and I’d be your Marilyn Monroe”. Here Megan is clever enough to continue to ride of the exuberance of the chorus in to a long bridge, which in turn finds it way back to the chorus. Just as the first part of the song continued to build, the second half of the song strips back each instrument til just vocals finish of the song.
Teenage Fury fails to hit the highs of the first two tracks, instead proving to be a more controlled song. Megan’s ability to craft a catchy chorus is still evident here, however the music fails to capture emotion in the same way that Cement and How To Tame Lions does. It is also less musically diverse, opting for a more traditional pop structure.
2009 was a big year for Megan Washington; not only did she rise from musical obscurity to support big acts such as Kate Miller-Heidke and Grizzly Bear, she also appeared on big Aussie music quiz shows Rockwiz and Spicks and Specks. Her astonishing vocal delivery while singing classics through the words You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay on Spicks and Specks was what convinced me to pick up a copy of How To Tame Lions, Washington’s second EP.How To Tame Lions starts with the high tempo Cement, a song about a lover writing some pretty personal information out on the street for all to see. The song starts with a strong drum beat followed by tumbling keys which announce that you’re being dragged down into her world. Megan’s fantastic musicianship and knack for a good vocal hook are revealed very early in the piece, leading the way for an energetic chorus and almost theatre style backing vocals near the end.
Second up is the title track, and easily the best thing Megan has produced so far. Starting with a solitary keyboard note, the song expertly flourishes from minimalistic electronica to one of the best choruses of the year “How do you tame a lion, when they are lying low, you’d be my Arthur Miller, and I’d be your Marilyn Monroe”. Here Megan is clever enough to continue to ride of the exuberance of the chorus in to a long bridge, which in turn finds it way back to the chorus. Just as the first part of the song continued to build, the second half of the song strips back each instrument til just vocals finish of the song.
Teenage Fury fails to hit the highs of the first two tracks, instead proving to be a more controlled song. Megan’s ability to craft a catchy chorus is still evident here, however the music fails to capture emotion in the same way that Cement and How To Tame Lions does. It is also less musically diverse, opting for a more traditional pop structure.
Teenage Fury is however only a temporary blip as the hauntingly beautiful Halloween follows afterward. Some piano work eerily similar to Cement starts of Halloween; however everything that comes after is pure bliss. Washington delivers another strong chorus that embodies her fantastic vocal range and emotional delivery. I particularly love the line “I talk when I don’t have to” featured in the chorus. Halloween also displays the strongest attention to atmosphere on the EP, with backing synths and vocals creating an almost spooky atmosphere to go along with the song. Just as in How To Tame Lions, Megan rides of a high energy chorus into the second verse to create a highly fluid transition.
Final track Welcome Stranger is an acoustic affair, which builds slowly to a confessional climax. Megan doesn't overstress the instruments, instead letting her voice display the emotion in the song. The EP comes to a gentle halt, directly contrasting with the thunderous way in which it started.
How To Tame Lions builds greatly on Washington’s debut EP Clementine; with more ambitious compositions and a greater focus on atmosphere. Washington is currently recording her first album which is expected to be released during the middle of this year; and if it is anything like this EP you should expect big things.
Essential Tracks: Cement, How To Tame Lions, Halloween
How To Tame Lions is available to purchase at iTunes
How to Tame Lions:
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