Missy Higgins - On aClear Night

Fri 1st Jun, 2007 in Music Reviews

Australia’s darling Missy Higgins has done it again, dropping her latest album On a Clear Night to her hoardes of adoring Aussie fans. The down to earth singer-songwriter made sure everyone from newspaper readers to internet savvy listeners could hear this latest release.

The album kicks off with quintessential piano and that all so familiar sincerity evident in all of Missy`s music. Where I Stood has Missy breathe life into the record, her easily recognizable sound floats about the ears with particularly emotive lyrical content. How can we be sad, when Missy graces us with this sort of music, melancholy inducing as it sometimes is, it is more of a comfort than anything else. A haunting interlude follows the lyrics “I don`t know who I am/who I am without you/I thought love was black and white”.

100 Round the Bends and Steer seem to be linked lyrically, they both feature the theme of control, driving a car. “Jumping in my car/we’ll go 100 round the bends/you were everything for a little while”. Is there ever any song by Missy Higgins that isn`t about living and loving? That unmistakable introduction to Steer is by now, well and truly imprinted in the minds of many. That quick strumming and as usual, thoughtful, poetic lyrics.

Despite Sound of White having Missy unashamedly singing with a very Australian twang and somewhat strain, this record has her almost dropping away from that sort of singing style. Or maybe I have gotten so used to Missy as one of this country`s most loved talents that I have just grown so accustomed to her voice.

At first listen, the guitar at the start of Secret has me thinking of Jack Johnson, but then the vocals come in and I’m thrown back into that Missy Higgins groove. After all, she used to sing in a jazz band with her brother. I fell in love with her success story while watching the DVD documentary I’ll Tell You Mine, If You’ll Tell me Yours. Her friendly character, illuminating smile and positive attitude are contrary to the character portrayed in most of her songs. They lay bare to her introverted side, pondering and reminiscing. She is Australia’s darling for these reasons, most of us feel we can identify with her music, the beauty and sincerity involved.

This jazz influence sounds like it comes through on songs like The Wrong Girl, Missy is a sensitive and emotional creature, she would have to be writing songs like these that fluctuate your mood while gently soothing. “And the flood gates open/but nothing comes out.” Warm Whispers is another to consider in this category, and you should be able to feel the warmth all the way to your soul: “Your warm whispers let me drown in a pool of you/I’m weeping warm honey and milk.”

There is a lot more guitar to piano laden tracks on this record, as opposed to Sound of White where pretty much all of the songs had Missy fluttering away on the keys, Angela, Peachy and Going North are complemented by a mix of stringed instruments. Forgive Me is the last track that has light guitar chords under the strong vocals of our Missy wailing away with seamless effort and that incredibly raw emotion. Upon first listen, the acoustics sound different to all other tracks, this one is more organic yet fitting.

On the whole, a well rounded and assembled LP, the success of the single Steer has her an obvious favourite as far as music popularity goes, I just wonder how people will take the dominance of guitar over piano transition. Of course, that is a very small thing to deal with when the album’s sound is so overwhelmingly great.