Untame the Tiger

Album review

It's safe to say Mary Timony's last few years have been distinguished by grief and change: Her long-term relationship ended and both of her parents died. Unsurprisingly, she turned to songwriting as comfort; in fact, Untame the Tiger emerged over the course of the two years during which she was the primary caregiver for her parents. "The record became my anchor in a time when I was losing so much around me," she said in the album's bio. "It felt like all I had—a guide that helped me through, and gave me hope."

On Untame the Tiger, Timony—a beloved Washington, D.C. musician who's fronted Helium and Ex Hex and collaborated in a variety of projects, including Hammered Hulls and Wild Flag—leans into the idea of music as solace and catharsis. Her guitars convey emotional heaviness, sometimes quite literally—witness the gouging, melodic riffs churning on "Summer"—but are just as often rooted in psychedelic-folk delicacy. (Fittingly, five songs, including the string-cushioned "No Thirds," feature drummer Dave Mattacks from British folk icons Fairport Convention.) Strum-heavy '90s indie rock influences the yearning "Don't Disappear" and bustling "Dominoes," two songs mixed by Dave Fridmann that feature percussion and additional instruments from Joe Wong, while "Looking for the Sun" is ornate pop driven by rich acoustic riffage.

Lyrically, Timony doesn't shy away from digging into the most painful parts of her recent past. She confesses to feeling isolated on "The Guest" ("Hello, Loneliness, you've come back home/ You were the only one who never left me alone") while the title track embraces the unique alchemy of anger and sadness ("Thought I was through with you/ And the tiger was tamed/ But now my brain is running hot/ And I'm counting all the rain"). Untame the Tiger's willingness to confront loss and trauma makes the album deeply relatable and quite moving; in fact, it's one of Timony's best solo records yet. © Annie Zaleski/Qobuz