Heather Nova

Oyster (Big Cat/Work)
by Sheril Stanford

With some of her slower, lighter, guitar-and-violin backed tunes, Heather Nova comes dangerously close to being just another girl singer with a pretty voice. While lovely, there is nothing to distinguish these tunes from a million others just like them. What sets Heather Nova apart from the pack are the harder, darker pieces, especially the ones driven primarily by percussion. On these, Nova really shines. One cut, called “Truth and Bones,” perhaps reflects Nova’s own awareness of this with its repeated eerie refrain, “stripped down the bone…”

Another stand out track of this genre is the haunting “Sugar,” with its pure, slow, monotone vocals. You can almost feel the psychological immobility the song clearly depicts. And “Maybe An Angel” – slow, swingy, and dark – is a showcase for Nova’s intensity and passion. Not marked by quite the same level of emotional involvement, yet appealing nonetheless with its sexy sensuality, is the current single, “Walk this World.” But the best this CD has to offer is “Blue Black,” a dark rocker, with brutal lyrics delivered in a hard, angry tone.