Last weekend, as Karisa Wilson kicked off the Active Commute Week LIVE event on The Rapid’s bus main platform, I closed my eyes to enjoy the music that drifted softly through the undulating overhead canopy structure. I could not help but wonder that at any moment as the buses pulled up and departed, if Karisa would be asked to hop a ride to her next gig in some far off place.
It is easy to imagine when you hear her voice that she deserves to be shared all over the country. Karisa’s distinctly rich Americana vocals are matched to her guitar playing.
What stirred my daydreaming is that a few of these tunes sounded very new and unfamiliar compared to those on her WYCE Jammie award-winning 2007 album,
Little Girl.
On Saturday, June 2, Karisa will present a joint CD release party with Lucas Wilson, Karisa’s cousin. (The two have fun with this familial association in a new Vimeo
video.
For Karisa, who spent a brief time in Sweet Japonic, the band Lucas fronted for years, her newest release,
Stronger, is a thoughtful exploration of the old adage, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” (But they usually kill you.)
The eight tracks that make up this release speak of hope, redemption and even the joys of unplugging and getting really low with the one you love. The release may be short on time, clocking in just shy of 30 minutes, but this charmer takes us on a long and vast journey with Karisa’s emblematic songwriting skills. It is a ride we will long remember on those sunny days and those blue days, too.
Lucas, a founding member of Sweet Japonic, left the band in 2010 to pursue a solo career. Saturday night’s release party is the first time his release has been available for purchase. Both Wilsons will be performing solo sets and joining in on a few festive duets to mark this special and rare occasion.