Michaela
Burger – Breathe (Independent)
Michaela Burger is a classically trained singer, who
also writes and plays guitar and piano. Originally from, and still based in
Adelaide, Australia, Burger has toured and performed extensively in her homeland,
Europe and South Africa, and “Breathe” is her debut album. Her choice of genre
is very much pop, but she approaches her music with a maturity and dexterity
that swerves the formulaic beats and teenage angst that dominates the charts
and airwaves. That’s not to say that there isn’t a place for this sort of thing
on the radio, but it’s literate pop music with a folk-rock edge, that’s aimed
squarely at an adult audience, a style that many broadcasters choose to ignore
– though that’s no reason for us pop loving grown-ups to miss out.
The album begins with real vigor. “My Heart Dropped to the Floor”
sets the stage with Burger’s powerful soul-jazz voice taking the lead from the
very start; its upbeat energy matched by her band-mates. “Every Day” calms the storm,
though there’s a danger you’ll have to have the catchy chorus surgically
removed, which is a recurring problem. Bolstered with what sounds like a string
section “Get Away from Myself”
might just be a perfect pop song. Its gypsy feel, ambitious arrangement and
combination of a tenuous vocal and a self-doubting lyric hits the spot however
many times it’s played.
Rob F.
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