Customer Reviews

On a Clear Night

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I really thought Aussie singer/songwriter Missy Higgins might have a struggle on her hands to better her excellent 2004 debut The Sound Of White. But with her second release, On A Clear Night, she may well have done just that. Her latest batch of songs are, in a word - gorgeous, and their appeal grows with each listen. Opener 'Where I Stood' is an immediate highlight, a song which shivers with emotion, pulling the listener in with a trademark Higgin's tail of lost love/lost identity over a beguiling, yearning melody. Other standouts are the single 'Steer', the breathlessly beautiful 'Warm Whispers' and the 'The Wrong Girl' which seems to have set up permanent residence in my brain - not that I mind one bit. I've only been in possession of On A Clear Night for a couple of weeks, but I sense already, that I'm gonna keep coming back to this album time and time again. Missy Higgins has again shown us just what a genuine talent she is - one of the most gifted and luminescent singer/songwriters to have graced the scene in some time.

I don't usually go out and rave about younger singers since I'm more in the anne murray, bruce cockburn, emmylou harris, bob dylan, joni mitchell generation.

But I have to tell you, Missy has got it head and shoulders over any younger singer today. What will she thrill us with when she starts writing more and more, and rips our hearts out with another whole album of "Where I Stoods"?

If I could give this CD six stars I would. This is worth the investment, and since you can download her MP3's, I recommend this album first. Wow!

Missy is one of the most talented singer/songwriters around today. Her voice is mellow and sexy and powerful at the same time. Her lyrics are moving and poetic, full of emotion. If you don't have this CD, get it.

Opening uncertainly with the line, "I don't know what I've done / or if I like who I've become," Missy Higgins' highly anticipated (at least in Australia) second record isn't likely to leave audiences in the same quandary. The sometimes sweet/sometimes dark On A Clear Night expands Higgins' singer-songwriter prowess with 11 catchy, but emotional tracks.

Her first album, The Sound of White, was Australia's best-selling album of 2005, and istening to the album, it's no shock that Higgins managed to touch something in such a wide audience. Her raw but delicate vocals have a captivating effect, while her lyrics paint a striking picture of strong vulnerability. It's a good one-two effect, and she pulls it off perfectly on nearly every track here. With an intriguing accent and a strumming guitar, Higgins presents herself as alternately broken and overpowering, and sometimes both at once.

In the angry "Peachy," she bitterly declares "Now I'm split in two / I'm half me and half you / but I hate us both / don't you?" while in the unguarded "Sugarcane" she laments how a young ballerina says to "Always be afraid." But Higgins is at her best when she combines her strength and openness, as in the opening track "Where I Stood" when she admits that "I don't know who I am without you / All I know is that I should." It's this mix of emotional candor and decisiveness that sets Higgins apart from the typical female songstress.

The varying styles of her songs is another draw here. Though there is a recognizability throughout the album it's easy to make a distinction between the upbeat, guitar-driven pieces and the more dramatic ballads showcasing her skills as a pianist. And while most of the songs center around relationships in some sense, other tracks like the motivational "Going North" are more philosphical than sentimental: "I wanna know where children would go / if they never learned to be cool."

The album's not perfect, though. Some lyrics don't quite hit their mark, as in the slightly offputting "Warm Whispers" when listeners discover that Higgins is "weeping warm honey and milk." And the live-sounding recording of "Forgive Me" at the end of the album is moving, but after a well-produced 10 tracks, it's a little less impressive than it should be. Overall, Higgins created anticipation after her first album, and delivers solidly here.

Amazing! What else can I say? I love her voice, her lyrics... I specially love the song "Secret" and the good vibe of "Steer".

Ahhh, Missy. I give you five stars for my faith in who you will become - musically, ethically, and spiritually. Your voice (lyrical, sultry, playful) and that engaging Aussie accent we Americans so love, take me back to the life-altering memories of the year my daughters and I lived near Sherbrooke Forest, Land of Oz.

Your clever, metaphoric poetry that captures the heart of the emotion, be it joy or fear; lyrical melodies; and an ability to evoke an earthy, sultry mood using a first quarter downbeat in Secret, then oppose that mood in Where I Stood, Sugarcane, and Going North. I have no idea HOW or where you draw inspiration to create empathic pieces like Forgive Me. You are simply too young to be so mature.

I see such promise and have "great expectations" that you will continue to grow in sophistication and depth. Be patient with your fans in North America. The competition is daunting, but you clearly have the talent. I predict that within ten years you will be in league with songwriters like Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, and Nora Jones, each of whom explored other genres, cultures, and alternate styles that kept their music fresh and exciting.

What can I offer you? Having also performed (albeit with no where near the talent), I would love to hear you stretch yourself by exploring more complex chording, alternate guitar tunings, and please, add more depth and resonance to the bass - perhaps even a bit of Dr. John funk or the visceral base in Come Together (Paul McCartney). Every truly great band hooks you emotionally with great bass lines.

Take care of that talent, Missy Higgins.

Missy Higgins is a fantastic singer and songwriter, which is just as evident on her second record as it was on her first "The Sound of White." It will be all but impossible for her to match the hype and buzz surrounding her freshman record, but in my eyes the quality of "On a Clear Night" is right up there with it.

The album is less piano driven then "The Sound of White" a fact that Missy says is due to her constant touring behind the success of the first album. She says that it's harder to write songs on the piano when you are on the road, so she stuck to writing on the guitar, but the songs don't suffer because of it. They may sound a bit different then the tracks on her first record, but it's in a good way.

The first single from "On a Clear Night" is "Steer", which is a very upbeat, positive song which talks about taking control of your life. Other tracks like "Going North" and "100 Round the Bend" also focus on themes of empowerment and destiny all the while featuring toe tapping rhythms and masterful playing.

The record has some darker, more haunting and serious tracks like "Forgive Me" and "Where I Stood" and "Secret." These tracks are not all autobiographical, and Missy says she has taken leave of making all of her songs sound as if they are her inner feelings yearning to break free. She creates characters and makes them the star of her songs, like in "Angela" which was inspired by seeing an old black and white photo of Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable. She thought that despite Vivian's apparent submissiveness and dependence on Clark, it was in face Vivian that was in control the whole time. Missy says she knows a lot of women like that, and so the song was born.

In the end this record is in fact different from her first, but it's indicative of a person who's grown in her craft and, in my mind at least, keeps getting better. Her beautiful voice is still there, complete with her Aussie accent, and the production is top notch as well. This makes for a fantastic listen; if you buy it you won't be sorry.

Saw her this past week in annapolis...she did the entire album and I loved every minute of it...from the soulful "secret" to the popular "where I stood" to the poignant "forgive me" I don't have any songs on this album that I don't like which is very rare for me..the more you listen to the album you realize that what started out as a seemingly very simple sounding compilation of songs are in fact much more complex and layered..I find myself picking up on subtleties that I would have missed had I not given the album a few listens..she will forever be in rotation on my MP3 player and I look forward to her future endeavors..her native australia is justified in giving her so many accolades and I'm hopeful that the U.S. will follow suit largely in part because of this album

Well I really thought that this album would blow "The Sound of White" away before I heard it. The truth is, it doesn't. This is because it is not in the same field as TSOW.
Her previous album was much more piano driven. This is much more upbeat guitar driven. At first listen, it was a major disappointment, but after a few full listens I can confidently say I love this album more than her first.
The songs have their own identity and I dont mind listening to any of them.. well maybe just 1 track (Secret), but even so I love all of these tracks.
Where I Stood is a track which probably mirrors her previous album more than any other, it is a great song which features more piano than anything. 9/10
100 Round The Bends is a much more upbeat song driven by funky guitars with great lyrics. A great upbeat track. 8.5/10
Steer, another guitar driven track..the 1st single. I loved it from the first listen and I still love it. Uplifting and positive. 9/10
Sugarcane goes back into the piano with light guitar and it is a pretty song. Deep lyrics and a pleasure to listen to at anytime. 8/10
Secret is a track which I dont love, but dont hate. I can tolerate it but it isnt my favourite. Its driven by guitar and its really bluesy. 7/10
Warm Whispers is a huge favourite of mine. I love the simplicity of it and the great lyrics. An absolute gem. 10/10
The Wrong Girl has to be my 2nd least favourite track, it is just flat to me, nothing different or unique about this track. 6/10
Angela is an awesome song! It is really folksy and really takes you away with its enchanting simple country music and pretty lyrics. Love it. 10/10
Peachy is a great upbeat guitar driven song with great angry lyrics and with real emotion put into it. Another favourite of mine. 10/10
Going North sounds like something off Gilmore Girls to me! haha its a great Australian-esque country-ish song with simple guitars and backing vocals with some other guy near the end which fits in great with the track. This album is getting better and better! 9/10
Forgive Me, wow this is the simplest a song can get. The term simple, yet effective applies 150% to this track. With a simple guitar and eerie echo, this track gleams with powerful vocals and emotive lyrics. This album couldn't have closed with a better track. I WANT MORE! 9.5/10

So incase you couldnt tell, the 2nd half of the album really hit it with me and I truly believe after a few listens you will love this album and appreciate all the things going for it like the music, lyrics and vocals.
Pick this up. The only reason people are so majorly disappointed by this is because they are directly comparing it to The Sound of White and not judging it individually as its own body of work. Please try it out, you are missing out on some true gems!

Essential tracks:
Where I Stood
100 Round The Bends
Steer
Warm Whispers
Angela
Peachy
Going North
Forgive Me
4 ½ stars from me!

I like the sound of the CD overall, but I wish there had been more variety to it. There are a couple of upbeat songs, but I think that too many of the tracks sound the same. The songs definitely show forth the unique quality to her voice.
In short, if you're looking for a calming, rainy-day CD this is the one for you. If you're looking for more upbeat songs in the mix just buy MP3 of the songs you like from the samples.