When Natalie Merchant separated from the 10,000 maniacs 20 years ago, it was hard to understand at first, because the band finally reaped the fruits of their labour after many years with their "Unplugged" album. For many, the withdrawn, quiet solo debut "Tigerlilly" was a disappointment; above all, the American critics, who were mostly sympathetic to the band, put it in the pan. Today we know that this liberation strike is one of the best female singer-songwriter albums ever.
