Review by Dan:

Third album from Kiwi singer/songwriter Bic Runga, which, despite being recorded in Auckland, brings with it a certain hint of Gaelic influence, possibly driven by Runga's Parisien residence. Beautiful and talented, Runga is New Zealand’s biggest star, and her velvety smooth voice, smoky and sultry at times, (particularly in “Ruby Nights”, and the sombre, haunting title track), lightly caresses her intimate lyrics. I enjoyed the country, bluesy “No Crying No More”, and the alluring piano ballad “If I Had You”, but my favourite is the more upbeat playfulness of “Blue Blue Heart”. Produced by Bic herself, and featuring piano and guitar contributions from Neil Finn (Split Enz, Crowded House), and backing vocals from Anika Moa, "Birds" is a captivatingly romantic and mellow collection.