Birds [CD]

EDITORIAL REVIEWS gwriting talent and her firm grasp on the universal language of romance. Undercu rrents of subtle melancholy in songs like the breathtaking and spacious 'Capture d' and 'Say After Me' flow through to uplifting notes of hope in first single 'W inning Arrow' and 'If I Had You'. Taking the role of album producer herself, Bic convened her band that included Neil Finn (Piano and Guitar) in Auckland's Mont e Cecilia House in August 2005. Built in 1879, with wonderfully detailed archite cture complete with parquet floors, elaborate ceiling roses, marble fireplaces a nd four-storeyed tower overlooking a wooded park. Bic's approach for the album h arked back to jazz recordings of the 50s and beyond and the timeless pop recordi ngs from before single instrument track-laying became the norm in the 1970s. The re is a natural intimacy between instruments and voices playing live in the same room. By the time an eight piece string section and further instrumentation inc luding French horn, flute, harp and clarinet had been added, the intricate arran gements and richly textured songs took shape. Sony. 2005.…