2008 Woodie Awards
Aussie brings melodic intensity, soulful style
Higgins' latest album grows in complexity, depth with each listen
Marin Mueller
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: The Mix
Four out of five stars
Missy Higgins, potentially the next big thing to come to the American music scene from Australia, is no Kylie Minogue or Keith Urban.
Bringing an unashamedly simple sound to the music scene, unadorned by heavy digital "embellishments," Higgins' latest album, 'On a Clear Night,' embraces the truly artistic side of music, reminding listeners that its possible to have both musical intensity and melodic soulfulness.
The album, Higgins' second, maintains the raw musical honesty of her previous work, but adds a newfound understanding of the world to the mix. Despite a vocal vibe that is strikingly similar to that of Colbie Callait, Higgins' fresh cynicism saves her album from labels such as "sweet" and "pop." This hardly means that Higgins is a typical jaded musician; she simply accepts the good with the bad, and hopes for change where the bad exists.
When asked by "Rolling Stone" about the world's future, Higgins responded that we need "a massive 180 in the global stand on climate change" and to start "investing in renewable energy projects," concluding, "I think we just need to learn to live more simply." While many artists would comment on the need for more creativity and less pop in music, or why teeny-bopping, saccharine-loaded stars must disappear from the scene, Higgins, at 23, has already learned to distinguish herself from her musical peers.
Indeed, simplicity is exactly what you'll find within Higgins' work. The track "Forgive Me," is so natural and uncut that you can still practically hear the microphone's feedback during the song's chorus. Too much of this natural, almost granola-like simplicity would make Higgins' latest work as little more than a wannabe-Norah Jones, but she easily balances out more timid, soothing tracks with songs such as the passionate, mysterious "100 Round the Bends," in which Higgins almost seems to be channeling her inner Alanis Morissette without ever coming across as bitter.
Missy Higgins, potentially the next big thing to come to the American music scene from Australia, is no Kylie Minogue or Keith Urban.
Bringing an unashamedly simple sound to the music scene, unadorned by heavy digital "embellishments," Higgins' latest album, 'On a Clear Night,' embraces the truly artistic side of music, reminding listeners that its possible to have both musical intensity and melodic soulfulness.
The album, Higgins' second, maintains the raw musical honesty of her previous work, but adds a newfound understanding of the world to the mix. Despite a vocal vibe that is strikingly similar to that of Colbie Callait, Higgins' fresh cynicism saves her album from labels such as "sweet" and "pop." This hardly means that Higgins is a typical jaded musician; she simply accepts the good with the bad, and hopes for change where the bad exists.
When asked by "Rolling Stone" about the world's future, Higgins responded that we need "a massive 180 in the global stand on climate change" and to start "investing in renewable energy projects," concluding, "I think we just need to learn to live more simply." While many artists would comment on the need for more creativity and less pop in music, or why teeny-bopping, saccharine-loaded stars must disappear from the scene, Higgins, at 23, has already learned to distinguish herself from her musical peers.
Indeed, simplicity is exactly what you'll find within Higgins' work. The track "Forgive Me," is so natural and uncut that you can still practically hear the microphone's feedback during the song's chorus. Too much of this natural, almost granola-like simplicity would make Higgins' latest work as little more than a wannabe-Norah Jones, but she easily balances out more timid, soothing tracks with songs such as the passionate, mysterious "100 Round the Bends," in which Higgins almost seems to be channeling her inner Alanis Morissette without ever coming across as bitter.
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