Every once in awhile comes along an artist that forces your ears to tune in. It’s the sound of a genre shifting, changing, and bending into something unique and fascinating. It’s the sound of fast-rising chanteuse Rebekah Higgs.
“I’ve got so much to tell you,” she declares early into the gorgeously simple, yet haunting, self-titled album-opener ‘Parables’. Those six words are all you need to know about the debut from an artist who bursts onto the scene fully blossomed, incorporating qualities of old with characteristics of the new, creating a familiar yet wholly original sound.
Hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia the 24-year-old Higgs’ self-titled disc presents a singer-songwriter to watch. The Halifax-bred musician plays within the borders of folk-tinged rock much like her personal influences (and east coast born performers) Leslie Feist and Julie Doiron. Yet she isn’t afraid to infuse her work with experimentation, incorporating vocal loops and electronic flourishes like her other inspirations Bjork and Radiohead.
Recorded with Joydrop’s Thomas Rider Payne over an intensely busy three weeks in Toronto, Rebekah Higgs is the tip of the iceberg of what this talented songwriter has in store for a long career ahead. Her material is steeped in melody, showcasing her often witty, perceptive tales, while the layered production provides a complexity that invites listeners to come back again for repeat listens.
Although a relative newcomer, Higgs sings with an old soul, with lyrics that universally touch on unrequited love and the fear of love itself. ‘Love Is,’ sheds light on a relationship that might not be the best course of action, but feels too good to resist. The theme of unrequited love appears in the heartbreaking “Don’t Mind Me,” a melancholy tale of being head over heels for the wrong person.
Rather than live in the shadows, Higgs balances her material with a steady dose of upbeat playfulness. “My Feet” represents flirtatious beginnings and “Mr. Weatherman,” sees romance in daily forecasts. And she’s more than capable of tackling ballads as heard on “Piano Song,” displaying her crystalline voice.
Higgs is set to bring her amazing music to the masses, touring nationally behind her disc either stripped down solo or with her band that includes keyboardist Colin Crowell, guitarist Jason Vautour as well the Burdocks drummer Sean MacGillvary on Bass. Watch for her in a city near you. Listen closely – you’re bound to like what you hear.