Walking your own path and living with the consequences is a bread and butter theme for many folk artists, the sort of introspective, self-evaluative topic that begs for skeletal songs rooted in existential examination. In the case of “The Hand You Deal Yourself,” the title track from Lily and the Tigers’ upcoming third album, we’re confronted with a haunting backwoods number that smells of pine and dust and takes a few moments to crackle laconically to life like a tiny spark of hope trying to set fire to a lifetime of waterlogged dreams. Vocalist Casey Hood has the perfect voice for spilling her guts—rich, expressive and quietly confident—and here she unpacks her parcels of wisdom with a croon that’s both beautiful and weather-beaten. It’s a stirring effort, a raw testament to the power of simplicity and elegant restraint. READ MORE
