Missy Higgins
Issue #35
On a Clear Night (Reprise)
By Rebekah Meek
Published: March 1st, 2008 | 2:50pm
Missy Higgins is a household name in Australia, her home country. After winning a national songwriting contest when she was still in high school, followed up by a handful of ARIAs (Australian equivalent to the Grammys), Higgins then began touring with well-known Aussie acts like John Butler and the Waifs.
But across the ocean, she's barely even made a ripple, and unfortunately, I don't think that her latest release, On a Clear Night, is going to give her the spotlight in the States. It falls in that grey area between outrageously polished enough to reach mainstream audiences and losing indie cred for being on a major label.
It's a shame though because Clear Night’s songs are carefully crafted, thoughtful pop songs that are flecked with bits of the Australian landscape. It appears that Higgins is writing these songs for no one other than herself, recounting the tale of a tumultuous love affair between a girl from the south and a boy from the north. "Peachy" is a catchy, vitriolic retort by a scorned lover replete with handclaps and syncopated guitars. Higgins’ asks, “I'm half me and half you / But I hate us both, don't you? / No of course you don't, of course you don't / You say life is peachy without me." Closer “Forgive Me” is a hushed lullaby that responds to opener “Where I Stood,” where Higgins admits, “’Cos I don't know who I am, who I am without you / All I know is that I should... ’Cos she will love you more than I could."
And really, it doesn't matter if Higgins hits the Top 40 in the States — that doesn't seem at all to be why she's playing music. Her intentions are far more honest and definitely worth a listen.
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