When Irish singer Lisa Hannigan came to the NPR Music offices a few
weeks ago, she not only brought along with her one of the most gorgeous
voices we've heard; she was also one of the warmest guests we've
welcomed.
Prior to kicking off her solo career, Hannigan made her name performing alongside Damien Rice. She just released her second album, the lush and beautiful Passenger.
Hannigan
came to NPR on a rare day in which two different artists were set to
perform behind the Tiny Desk, only an hour or so apart. Hannigan and her
guitarist, John Smith, arrived early for her set, but rather than leave
the office until it was her turn to perform, Hannigan stood quietly in
the crowd, watching the first performance and graciously taking it all
in.
As soon as her turn to perform arrived,
Hannigan hopped up, barely able to contain a smile, onto the stool
behind the Tiny Desk and immediately barreled into the bright ukulele
tune "Knots" with virtually no sound check or warm-up. Her voice was
astonishing as it bounded from hushed fragility to startling power; if I
hadn't seen her sitting nearby only moments before, I never would have
believed that she could sing like that with so little preparation. It
was a mesmerizing performance, with Hannigan alternately whispering and
howling her way through her songs, her eyes closed and her body rocking
to the music.
When she finished, you could almost hear the whole room sigh with contentment — and a little sadness that it was over.
Set List
"Knots"
"Little Bird"
"Passenger"
