The music of Aussie opera/folk/rock star Kate Miller-Heidke is as colorful and bright as it is playful and strange. A trained opera singer with an accolade of countless awards, Miller-Heidke found the world of pop music to her liking and in the course of just a few years, has a released a string of EPs and most recently, her full-length debut, showcasing how unique her music truly is.

At the turn of the century, Miller-Heidke joined Elsewhere, a band of musicians based in Brisbane, Australia and recorded with them while still maintaining a solo career. When the band separated a few years later, Miller-Heidke pressed on and in 2004, she released Telegram.

Two years later, the EP Circular Breathing followed, featuring six new songs including ‘Caveman Days,’ a charming, piano-laden track which recounts how beautifully uncomplicated life would have been thousands of years ago.

Last year, Miller-Heidke’s full-length debut, Little Eve was released on Sony-BMG Australia. The album perfectly captures the intrinsicality that is her music. Blending sweet pop with operatic trills, Miller-Heidke boasts the jaw-dropping, firecracker moments that listeners find so appealing in music by Kate Bush and Tori Amos.

The album’s first single, ‘Words,’ is a notable example of this – flushed with theatrics that befit the song’s high energy. A less capable singer wouldn’t be able to pull such a song off. Other songs, like ‘Mama,’ fair just as well. The chorus is a driving force of violins and electric instruments which contrast Miller-Heidke’s incredible voice.

The album’s closer is ‘Bored With Me,’ a soft and sweet ode of love slowly fading. Even in a song like this, with it’s poignant lyrics and beautiful chorus, Miller-Heidke’s voice is the centerpiece; making all of her musical training worth every penny.

I see the way you smile at the TV
And I think of back when we had no TV
And all the times I made you laugh
Which wasn’t many
~ Kate Miller-Heidke

Although Miller-Heidke has become a name recognized to many Australians (she recently opened for Cyndi Lauper), let’s hope the rest of the world takes notice soon.

Little Eve was recently re-issued in a special 2-Disc CD/DVD set, including live performances and videos to the songs ‘Words’ and ‘Make It Last.’

WWW:

Kate Miller-Heidke – The official site.
Kate Miller-Heidke @ MySpace
Beauty & Lace – Interview