It's a shame that it took Mary Timoney the most difficult years of her life before she found the inspiration to make her first solo record in over a decade, but it's clearly a series of life crises. There is some comfort in that. She unleashed her creativity to the fullest. 'Untame The Tiger' is the acclaimed guitarist's first full-length solo effort since 2007's 'The Shapes We Make', in which she explores the difficult challenges of caring for her sick parents during their final months. This is a work that took two years to create. And around the same time, I saw a long-term relationship fall apart. By peering into the abyss that followed, it seems as if something had awakened within her. Straight out of the epic opener 'No Thirds', 'Untame The Tiger' is scored with true ambition and stylistic audacity, creating a vast and moody sonic landscape. Mary's influence on indie-rock guitar playing over the past 30 years has been consistent, yet underappreciated, and the key to her enduring appeal to new players is that her solo records, especially on her It's in the way she refuses to ever close. She went off the creative path. This is thrillingly emphasized on “Untame the Tiger,” where she plays everything from garage rock and classic rock (both of which appear on the same song, “Summer”) to '70s folk rock (titled “The Dream ”), you can see that he has a skillful hand in everything. track) and mesmerizing Americana (“The Guest”). Although she has become better known in recent years as a key member of Wild Flag and Ex Hex, Mary Timoney's unique abilities as a guitarist and songwriter have been somewhat forgotten. “Untame The Tiger” is a moving song that reminds us of that.