Bic Runga: Birds
By Shaun Chait
Having already proven herself as NZ’s pop queen, Bic Runga has brushed all that aside to deliver the album many of us were hoping she would make. Combining the fragile and tender beauty of her best earlier work with an expansive maturity, Bic has filled ‘Birds’ with gorgeous, subtle and often heart-wrenching stuff that will be lost on her commercial listeners, but adored by plenty of us. This is a real musician’s album - not surprising given Bic seems to have more friends involved than Fly My Pretties! The line-up (including Neil Finn on piano, Rikki Gooch on drums and backing vocals from the likes of Anika Moa, Shayne Carter and Anna Coddington) bring a depth to the songs that is augmented by a string section - continuing the love affair she explored in her work with the Christchurch Symphony. Self produced and recorded at Auckland’s Monte Cecelia House in a month long session, Bic has gone for as live a recording as possible. The last half of the album in particular captures a dark and melancholic yet romantic and pretty place with the haunting Captured and brooding reflective closer It’s Over melting the listener. Beautiful.
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