Album Review: BIC RUNGA - Birds

SONY/BMG 82876811792

Review copy supplied by Abels Music, Canberra

Reviewed by Tony Magee

New Zealand singer songwriter Bic Runga has released her third album – Birds. Most interesting stuff.

Little hints of The Whitlams and even Al Stewart are evident in terms of vocal line style and melodic progressions. Even so, this is definitely a new sound and Bic presents here a mostly ethereal and reflective collection, all written by her. The structure of the songs is simple but there is an elegance of shape and form and nothing cluttered or over arranged. Mostly what one would call rock or pop ballads with one piece of old style blues thrown in, where you are suddenly sitting on someone’s front porch in 1930’s Mississippi. That track is called No Crying No More.

The album opens with a fairly bouncy number called Winning Arrow. Medium tempo pop. From then on it’s slow but thoughtful. One of the most appealing pieces for me is the title track, Birds. It is in a minor key and has a chord structure mostly centring around tonic and dominant. There is a distinct Middle Eastern feel to it in places. The middle section is beautifully orchestrated by Neil Finn and Tom Rainey giving a lush sweeping sound over which Bic soars with haunting vocals swoops and curves, rather like an eagle. I suppose that’s partly the point of it.

Neil Finn also appears on other tracks playing keyboards and backup vocals. It’s great to see and hear a modern album using real instruments, particularly when it would be oh-so-easy to just bring in a synth string sound – but no – all those lush violins and other strings are real instruments and all the players are credited. There is also harp and French horn as well as the usual rock and pop lineup. The arrangements throughout the album are all superb and really make it something quite special.

The recording quality is very good too, particularly the backup vocals, which are crisp and full, and superbly pitched by the singers. Bic herself has a voice which wafts sweetly and surely.

The booklet contains some superb photographic reproductions of birds by Fiona Pardington from her series “Future Beings” and also a reproduction of Kasimir Malevich’s 1913 oil on canvas, “Black Square”, for anyone interested in modern art.

This album represents excellent value for money, because you also get a second CD with five tracks recorded live at a Bic concert at the Civic Theatre, Auckland in Nov 2005 (although the album actually states Nov 2006 – but that’s yet to happen!!). This album grows on you. I think you will like it.

First published in Eat Drink Magazine, May 2006 and Our Hotel Magazine, May 2006