Misha Bear ~ Bear In Mind: A Music Review

Definitely jazz infused, Misha has moved on in her musical career since leaving Australia. (Why DO the good ones always leave?)

From her band days, to her electronica work to this, her latest recording, her chameleon like vocal ability belies her age and this album could well be about Misha’s Standards.

This album, Bear In Mind, is so very different to her previous work that I do not know where or how to start!  But, here goes…….

Too Much Sunshine, in a slightly different arrangement, would have been ideal for the late Dusty Springfield. Are we seeing the rise of Misha Bear as a singer/songwriter and arranger for others too?

Keep On Sailing, with its cleverly concealed organ playing, the backing mix so unusually compiled with its brass, backing vocals, overlays, and that guitar playing show a creative mind hard at work. It should not work, as it is like, in parts a jumbled shopping list, but that extremely well played and introduced lead guitar almost confiding personally with Misha’s voice, give a totally new approach to musical ability; it leaves one confounded, amazed and incredulous. You will not have heard the like of this for a long time, nor are you likely to; this is song writing at its best and the last people to write/play like this had the initials of J, P G and R. Need I say more.

In all my years of writing reviews, I do not think that I have ever had to stop, take a deep breath and wonder how the hell I was going to write something.

Love Is Blind ranks amongst one of those songs that almost everyone can relate to and brings the emotions surging to the fore. It is so powerful and the sort of song that should have been passed onto Whitney Houston, had she still been alive. This does not denigrate Misha’s version whatsoever but shows the power and intensity of how a song can tell a story of a dying love and her writing of this is a marvel in itself. The words slide together conjuring up visions of love at its worst with the plea for better times; the clever mention of separate couches and the statement re the colour of the eyes make this a very tangible song.

Then, following discussion and pleading there is an unexpected piano break, giving time to reclaim your emotions, followed by some soft bass and a quiet intro from the lead guitar which gradually pushes itself to the fore accompanied by some excellent brass before Misha starts singing again.

I have not come across the like of this before and wonder how many studio hours this excellent album, Bear In Mind, took to record and produce.

Misha has definitely changed her style but to one that is hard to challenge and the album is full of numbers that others could well cover. This is Misha’s golden moment, so do not miss out on it.

Having said that, all due credit should also be given to Misha’s musical accomplices being:

Guitar – Haim Romano 

Bass –  Guy Ron

Drums- Allan Young 

With The Clearlight Orchestra

All songs co -written with Adar Avisar

Tony Bates

Uncut and Unsigned 

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