by Jane Roser
Back in the mid-90s I had a friend who worked in a record store that went out of business. He gave me a box of CDs they were about to throw out and let me go through them. I was intrigued by one in particular called Live From The Milky Way, an EP by indie-rocker Heather Nova released in 1995. I was captivated by Nova’s ethereal voice and poetic songwriting and wanted to hear more of her music.
I immediately purchased Oyster and later Siren; Oyster is an enchanting record and I truly love it, but Siren just hit me like a ton of bricks. It’s one of those rare albums that is all-encompassing, with its haunting lyrics and spellbinding melodies. Nova’s voice is indeed that of a mythical siren, enthralling all who hear her sing.
Siren is a mixture of girl power/rocker songs (“I’m The Girl”, “Widescreen” and the famous Dawson’s Creek anthem “London Rain”) and melancholy ballads that are all at once endearing and heartbreaking, but most of all relatable. “I’m Not Only Human” speaks of our vulnerability and mortality: “Life is something set to music, I can hear it when I’m sad. There’s a chord in every muscle, every kiss you ever had. There’s a power when you’re near me, in our heads or in our bones. I know nothing but I’m guessing, when we die we’re not alone.”
Another track that sends chills up my bones is “Paper Cup” which incorporates themes of longing and loneliness, wanting something just within our grasp, but we can never obtain: “And everything stands so still when you dance, everything spins so fast, and the night’s in a paper cup, when you want it to last.”
Over twelve musicians are featured on this album playing such obscure instruments as a Hawaiian lap guitar, a tamboura and even a saw (on “Paper Cup”).
Born in Bermuda and raised on a sailboat, Nova’s lineage is one for the storybooks. Her great-grandfather was a pirate and her uncle, Michael Frith, worked for Jim Henson and was a co-creator of Miss Piggy. Within two decades, Nova has played over 600 live concerts and her eight LPs have collectively sold over 20 million copies. As an accomplished singer-songwriter, guitarist and violinist, Nova is an inspiration to budding female musicians everywhere. Currently working on a new album backed by a Pledge Campaign drive (there are still two chances left for a private concert in your living room), Nova’s music is timeless and like her moniker, luminous.
