29 Mar 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Bic Runga - Album Review: Close Your Eyes

05 Dec 2016 // A review by Epitomised_Drummer

There isn’t many people in New Zealand that have had have stood out as solo artists with such finesse or success as our very own Bic Runga.

After many years of waiting and reminiscing about her earlier singles such as Sway and Good Morning Baby from her massively successful debut album Drive Bic has finally delivered an exceptional new album on the year of her 40th birthday titled Close Your Eyes.

The first track kicks in with orchestral keyboard/piano tunes over a playful funk style bass line, that beautiful flowing voice that we have grown to know and love, and some well crafted delicate jazz drums. This is the named track from the album – and it still carries the casual relaxed summer feel-good vibe that  Bic delivers so perfectly.

Track two What’cha Say picks you up and drops you somewhere into 1974 for a start with some flared pants, a tie dyed shirt, and some roller skates. It is without a doubt disco-funk in my mind, but I’ll leave that for you to decide.

For me, the stand out song from the album is Things Behind The Sun. It’s a stunner of a track, and really gets back to her roots – the fully exposed and vulnerable Bic Runga from 1993 that is nothing but a girl with an amazing voice and an acoustic guitar that is so pleasant and refreshing to listen to.

The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face I feel might end up being one of the more successful tracks off this album as well, although to be fair just about every track off this album is so meticulous that I feel at any one point in time we might hear one of Bic’s new tunes being tucked away into the soundtrack of another famous movie.  

For a guy that loves rock music, I will definitely be adding this to my list of favourite albums of 2016 and will probably have this on repeat all the way through our sunny New Zealand Christmas season with a nice glass of bubbles on the deck in the sun.

 

About Bic Runga

Born in 1976, Briolette Kah Bic Runga is the third daughter of Maori soldier Joseph Runga and Chinese cabaret singer, Sophia, who met and fell in love in Malaysia during the Vietnam war.

Growing up in the 'underwhelming' Christchurch suburb of Hornby, the Runga family listened to The Carpenters, Shirley Bassey, Dusty Springfield, The Mamas & The Papas and The Beatles sung in Chinese. At age 4 Bic heard her mother play Diamonds Are Forever and found the experience frightening. "I remember I didn't really know why music would make you feel like that."

Although she had no formal music training, Bic started learning drums at age 11, and later learned the basics on guitar and keyboards. She began composing her own songs and, always willing to emulate older sister Boh Runga, joined high school bands.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Bic Runga

Releases

Close Your Eyes
Year: 2016
Type: Album
Buy Online @ Mightyape
Anthology
Year: 2012
Type: Album
Belle
Year: 2011
Type: Album
Try To Remember Everything
Year: 2008
Type: Album
Birds (Special Edition)
Year: 2006
Type: Album
Birds
Year: 2005
Type: Album
Buy Online @ Mightyape
Beautiful Collision
Year: 2002
Type: Album
Drive
Year: 1998
Type: Album
Buy Online @ Mightyape

Other Reviews By Epitomised_Drummer

Say Or Do - Single Review: Awake
19 Mar 2023 // by Epitomised_Drummer
If you’ve been following the Kiwi Rock scene for a while now, you’ll be familiar with the names Silence The City, Quarter 2 and Broken Avenue. One of the main drivers behind these epic bands has been by groove-master Sam French.
Read More...
Album Review: Pieces Of Molly
09 Nov 2022 // by Epitomised_Drummer
Have you ever heard a tune for the very first time, and within 10 seconds been like "holy crap this is insane, where did this come from???" Very few bands that I listen to ever give me that massive burst in energy like i got when opening the very first track Atomic Fuzz on Pieces Of Molly’s brand new self-titled album.
Read More...
Kev Rowland - Book Review: The Progressive Underground Volume 4
28 Jun 2022 // by Epitomised_Drummer
Well, here I find myself in the weird situation of reviewing a series of reviews. What a novel idea!
Read More...
Arrays - Single Review: Forget Fast
03 May 2022 // by Epitomised_Drummer
Remember the Names Armed In Advance or Stitches? Perhaps you should!
Read More...
The Mechanism - Single Review: Living in Colour
08 Apr 2022 // by Epitomised_Drummer
People who follow the NZ music scene will have probably noticed by now that musicians tend to move in circles dabbling in different types of music, and often work on each other's projects or play in multiple bands throughout their careers. One of those awesome names to have hit the scene in recent times with 3 of his own EP’s is Geoff Ong.
Read More...
Unknown - Single Review: I Am
17 Mar 2022 // by Epitomised_Drummer
Sins of Eve have just released their wickedly evil new single I Am. I’ve not heard of Sins of Eve before personally, but a little bit of a back story tells me that they have been around for quite some time on the rock scene in Christchurch but have recently rejigged their line-up with the inclusion of Lexie Mia Le Cocq on vocals.
Read More...
Viices - Single Review: Coffee
20 Feb 2022 // by Epitomised_Drummer
Something a little different landed on my desk this morning, a new release from a Wellington rock trio Viices featuring Jake, Geordie, and Will. I’ve not heard Viices before, so I thought I’d read a few of their previous reviews and see if I could form a picture of what they might sound like.
Read More...
Head Like A Hole - Single Review: Goliath
03 Nov 2021 // by Epitomised_Drummer
Head Like A Hole, arguably one of the greatest and most influential kiwi rock bands of our time. These guys have been around since longer than I’ve been listening to Rock!
Read More...
View All Articles By Epitomised_Drummer

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • WE CAN'T BE FRIENDS (WAIT FOR YOUR LOVE)
    Ariana Grande
  • BEAUTIFUL THINGS
    Benson Boone
  • END OF BEGINNING
    Djo
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • TEXAS HOLD 'EM
    Beyonce
  • STICK SEASON
    Noah Kahan
  • PRAISE JAH IN THE MOONLIGHT
    YG Marley
  • CARNIVAL
    Kanye West And Ty Dolla $ign
  • SATURN
    SZA
  • LOVIN ON ME
    Jack Harlow
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem