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Review of Bic Runga's 'Drive'

© Nick Bendel

Bic Runga and her album Drive really made an impact on the New Zealand music scene in 1997/8. In 1997 her song "Bursting Through" earned her the nomination for Songwriter of the Year while she also won the award for the Top Female Vocalist at the New Zealand Music Awards. The next year she won the Album of the Year category as well as retaining the two awards from the previous year.

This should illustrate the quality of Bic Runga and Drive. The most notable aspect of the album is how dominant her voice is. While this may seem a strange thing to say, on so many other records the guitars and the drums and any other instruments are usually just as discernible as the person singing. On Drive however, Bic's impassioned voice steals the show. Quite simply her voice is amazing as it goes through the range of high and low, soft and loud, bringing real feeling to all her songs.

In order to really highlight her singing, the production is kept to a minimum. Interestingly, Bic, though only 21, did the work herself. "If the job had been given to someone else," she explained, "I would have spent the whole time stressing about it." She is being modest, of course, because she has put in a first-rate effort. So many albums are ruined by over-production and unwarranted sound effects, but Bic deliberately (and intelligently) chose the opposite path. "I wanted the album to sound sparse and spacious. I don't like music that is too busy."

The album begins on just this note with the haunting and acoustic title track, while the next song "Sway" has the benefit of the full band, as well as violin and cello to really provide a rich, full sound. "Hey" and "Bursting Through" then continue the trend of beautiful melodic construction.

Following this is "Swim," a clever example of Bic's ability to blend her styles. Beginning in the same pretty fashion as the previous songs, it suddenly explodes during the chorus into a frenzy of guitar, drums and some fearsome singing, almost as if it were Bjork and not Bic doing the vocals.

In some ways it is surprising that the same lady who makes some of the lovely songs already mentioned, as well as others like "Roll Into One" and "Delight," could be so aggressive. However, this mood fits in nicely with her desire for the album to replicate "the energy and adrenalin of a live gig." Also, it's worth noting a brief explanation from the singer/songwriter herself. "I keep my morbid side to myself, but that tends to be the side

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