With her 13th studio album, Heather Nova delivers what you might expect from one of the 90s' most distinctive alternative voices – though longtime fans of London Rain will find she's meandering down a sandier path.
Breath and Air finds the Bermudian singer-songwriter in a mellower space, trading alternative rock edges for a contemplative acoustic approach. The result feels like a summer afternoon by the Mediterranean, complete with salt spray and whispered confessions.
"Hey Poseidon" drifts along on gentle, hopeful acoustic currents, while "The Lights of Sicily" paints pictures as rich as the region's wine and honey that the lyrics describe. Nova's voice is reassuringly distinctive in its ability to softly shift from intimately breathy to soaring and strong.
There's a clear thread of self-reflection here. "Ebbs and Flows" is a Joan Baez-esque folk tune, weaving delicate metaphors of butterflies and returning fishing boats to capture parallels between life's rhythms and the tides. "A Human Experience" continues such contemplation, with the lyrics “lying on the ground, looking at the big sky, wishing on a cloud, hoping that we can just get by”.
Nova shines brightest when merging personal stories with universal themes, as in the loss-tinged "From up Here" about losing a friend, and "Ghost in My Room," where her impressive vocal range brings depth to memories of absent loved ones. Tracks like "I Blame it on Myself" settle comfortably into their gentle acoustic grooves. Whilst perhaps lacking the bite of her earlier work, Breath and Air blooms gently, with Nova's songwriting finding new depths in quieter waters. It's a mature meditation on love and renewal that tells of something equally powerful – the gentle wisdom of time and tide.
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