Bic Runga has returned 9 years after her last studio album ‘Close Your Eyes’ with a fresh yet vintage new sound. The New Zealand rocker and songstress has long been charming audiences with sweet love songs and introspective moments of personal growth. With her new single ‘Paris in the Rain’, Bic swaps out the guitars for synths, thunderstorms, and a historical retro piano. Speaking about the track, Bic says:
I wrote this track on the last night of a winter trip to Paris, inspired by how beautiful the city looked in the rain. There was something magical about it; the lights reflecting on the wet streets, the feeling of saying goodbye.
It’s built around a historic 1807 Pleyel piano and feels like the beginning of a new chapter for me.
The main motif reminds me of crisp robo-synths of the 70s and tracks like ‘Popcorn’. It is angular, seductive, and melancholic. It wears a dense, throbbing shroud of mystery and intrigue, and Runga’s voice is bewitching with her breathy, higher register on full display. The switch to synths is an interesting one. On her debut solo album ‘Drive’, the liner notes for the most experimental tracks ‘Heal’ and Delight’ speak of being drawn to synths and that Bic wanted to explore this more in the future. Her music has at times had synths front and centre, but always in a rock format. It seems like 28 years later, Bic Runga is getting her synth on!
Whilst no formal announcement has been made, the “new chapter” clue makes me think an EP or LP is on the way soon. This is the second new song released this year, with the dreamy haze of ‘It’s Like Summertime‘ released last month. That too has some funky synths in it, whilst being a far jazzier and Motown-adjacent rock track. For more information about the upcoming album and everything else she is up to, visit Bic Runga’s website.
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