Gin Wigmore is one of New Zealand’s most critically acclaimed musical exports, but she’s not hit our radar before this. That might be because she’s just released her first album in eight years.
By Graeme Smith
For fans, it’ll be worth the wait, for the rest of us, it acts as a fantastic introduction to her sound.
Wigmore blends rock and country in a comparable way to Lissie, taking inspiration from the classic Lucinda Williams, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette sound and updating it for the 21st century. I also detected a trace of Fleetwood Mac perhaps because Wigmore’s characterful vocals are reminiscent of Stevie Nicks.
What struck me first about her comeback album, Beautiful Mess, was the boldness of the compositions. The emotion is high whether Wigmore is delivering introspective country or rampant rock.
Lyrics are searching in moments like opener Country Diamond, and visceral in early highlight Tip of The Tongue. The latter explores trying to find confidence through love. The country noir Die On This Porch is another standout moment as it sets up Side A closer Well Well.
The two sides of the album are constructed around the two poles of Wigmore’s sound. Country takes the spotlight on Side A, Beautiful, while rock is the order of the day for Side B, Mess.
This approach works remarkably well as Wigmore throws off any semblance of restraint in the second half. Title track Beautiful Mess proves another highlight thanks to a stripped back verse that gives plenty of space to the vocals and dark, stirring lyrics.
Things get deliberately messy as the energy ramps up. Rodeo is anthemic and the energy stays high leading into chaotic highlight I Like It. Here Come The Girls ends things triumphantly and frenetically.
Beautiful Mess is a chronical of Wigmore’s last decade, one that brought love, loss, divorce, and motherhood, so there’s plenty to unpack. She doesn’t hold anything back and her honesty and songwriting skills what makes the record beautifully compelling.
“I’m proud that I still let courage sit in the driver’s seat,” she says. “The courage to be me, the courage to raise my kids in a really authentic and transparent way, the courage to make music with vulnerability, the courage to try sh*t, the courage to let it pass me by when it no longer nourishes, the courage to be a good friend and show up. I’m really proud that I haven’t let courage disappear. Not only have I not left it, I’ve let it drive. Courage is underrated – especially for how much of a necessary ingredient it is to embrace life to its fullest potential.”
If you want to keep up to date with what Gin Wigmore is doing, you can by following her on Instagram and Facebook.
Beautiful Mess is out now, and you can listen to it below.
