[Album Review] The Ol' Razzle Dazzle by Missy Higgins - Pop

[The Bard Babe]

The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle-Missy Higgins

 

 

Album rating: (8/10)

 

Track list:

1. Set Me on Fire                                  (7/10)
2. Hello Hello                                          (7/10)
3. Unashamed Desire                         (7/10)
4. Everyone's Waiting                         (10/10)
5. All in My Head                                   (8/10)
6. Temporary Love                               (8/10)
7. Watering Hole                                   (7/10)
8. Tricks                                                     (8/10)
9. If I'm Honest                                      (7/10)
10. Cooling of the Embers                   (9/10)
11. Hidden Ones                                      (9/10)
12. Sweet Arms of a Tune                   (8/10)

Bonus

1. World Gone Mad                             (9/10)

This is Missy Higgins’ third album, co-produced with her friend and bassist Butterfly Boucher. As per her last two albums, it’s full of amazing tunes too catchy for our own good and some pretty good stories wrapped up in fun melodies, exquisite harmonies and wonderful lyrics.

Missy’s voice is still singularly amazing, however her keyboard skills have in this album faded into the background for the most part dwarfed by the full band effect that has grown out from her first two albums.

 

The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle  has the usual spread of breakup songs, deep and depressing songs and Missy’s ever-present  angry track, (in this case, Tricks), but the vast majority of the tracks hold deeper meaning or storytelling aspects, such as Everyone’s Waiting, which is about artists trying to escape from the expectations that tie them down, Hidden Ones, a tale about revolution and fighting for change, small against big, and Watering Hole, which is about that time when you’re lying in bed but just can’t get to sleep because your brain won’t turn off. This album also has the bonus track World Gone Mad, which was written about and in dedication to victims of the Queensland floods, which is a very touching song.

 

All in all, her songs have the same marvellous quality as her previous albums, though the album as a whole is very different from her earlier two due to very different instrumentation and much faster moving songs with driving back-up. The songs are very relatable and catchy with some wonderful storytelling through song. If you have a chance, definitely give this album a listen.

Edited January 17, 2013 by The Bard Babe

[Nyanna al'Meara]

If you have a chance, definitely give this album a listen.

 

*totally hasn't been listening to this, and moar Missy music for a week all the friggin time* Now look what you did.... XD

 

 

Everyone's Waiting is maybe very likely one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, I love how she alters her vocals....

I find her to be pretty powerful all around the music styles she plays, I love her country/pop mixture as it seems, and the totally addictive beats, awesome piano and guitar. What I've really noticed are the beginnings of some of her songs, they really stand out and make it an ear-catching track right from the start, hmm *ponders*

Edited January 27, 2013 by Nyanna al'Meara

[The Bard Babe]

Exactly, she always has very energetic beginnings, even if it's a sad energy. Her riffs are always recognisable, and in her earlier albums, she had a very definite

verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, special chorus pattern that was in just about every song and made all of her music very familiar.

 

The last album's songs stray from the pattern and that's part of why it has a different feel from the first two. I like it.   :p

[Katiora]

POINTS - 

 

BB - 3

Nyanna - 1