It’s a lighter, brighter Bic Runga that greets us on BELLE (Sony), her first album of new material in almost six years. From the Supremes-style Tiny Little Piece of My Heart, through the irrepressibly boppy Hello Hello to the psychedelia of Darkness All Around Us, there is little trace of the former introspective guitar-hugger. In her place is a retro-popster with Francophile tendencies; the title track, sung in French, comes from an old French television show, while Serge Gainsbourg’s 1971 classic Histoire de Melody Nelson is a constant reference point.
What has brought about this lightening of Runga’s mood seems to be that for the first time she is sharing the workload. Co-writers Lawrence Arabia and Everlast drummer Dann Hume both bring their upbeat sensibilities to the songs, but the biggest contribution by far comes from ex-Mint Chicks singer Kody Nielson, whose influence extends from the composition to the production, and even to the singing. There are moments when it almost feels like his record.