There is an artistry to songwriting that we do not often discuss enough. An ability to harness melodies, rhythms, and lyrics into sections of music that not only fit together but provoke a reaction from listeners. Throughout history, many songwriters, whether they perform the songs themselves or write for others, almost always integrate their personal experiences. The case with legendary songwriters like Jimmy Webb who utilized his muse Suzy (Horton) Ronstadt in many of his platinum-selling penned songs, you could say it is a way of releasing joy, frustration, and pain. The fibers of what makes a songwriter who they are, you can look at someone like Missy Higgins as ultimately a pure songwriter.
Out of Australia, Higgins was nominated for five ARIA Music Awards in 2004 and won Best Pop Release for “Scar,” featured on her debut album The Sound of White. Additionally, she was nominated for seven more awards and won five in 2005, leading to many more accolades in the decade after. With her first three albums hitting number one on the Australian Music Charts, Higgins has also made her mark on international audiences; touring with everyone from Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair tour in 2010, to Gotye in 2012. Recognized for her sincere singing voice and impeccable knack for creating memorable tunes, now in 2024 she returns with her new album The Second Act.
Released on September 6th through Eleven: A Music Company, it is her sixth overall studio album and first since 2018’s Solastalgia. After six long years separating the two, a lot has transpired for Higgins, including a split between her and her husband. Something quite personal and which should be left private to all parties involved, Higgins utilizes this chapter of life as her origins behind The Second Act. Transparent about her feelings, she does not shy away from some pretty deep-rooted emotions that are both beautifully honest and ultimately tragic.
An aspect we can all relate to, ultimately, we know that love is never easy, nor is it something that lasts forever without effort. With this being said, we also know that heartbreak is perhaps one of the most gut-wrenching experiences any of us can go through. This is especially so when we self-deprecate and wonder what we could have done differently to manifest a different outcome. Couple it together with our concerns for a child’s feelings, in the middle of mom and dad breaking up, everything discussed is something that changes who we are, forever leaving a scar.
A cold, hard reality, Missy Higgins takes a deep breath, most likely held back a few tears, and opens the floodgate for The Second Act. Eleven songs, in total it is as smooth a listen, as it is a challenging one. Explaining this, the tone is delicate, and the melodies are delightful, but the challenge comes in knowing that you might have faced similar emotions as Higgins features on these tracks. Something you need to take a deep breath yourself to dig into, Higgins paints vivid imagery of her broken heart, navigating through the aftermath of it all, on her way to rediscovering her self-worth.
You can feel this explicitly in every song, however, the most striking moments unfold in “You Should Run,” where Higgins questions herself, as well as “A Complicated Truth” which is a ballad to her children explaining everything, and “When 4 Became 3” about the fragmentation of a family. Furthermore, songs like “Crater,” “The In-Between,” and “The Second Act” exemplify the phases of grief when mending a broken heart. However, if you had to pick one of the most vivid showings of Higgin’s emotions it would have to be “Blue Velvet Dress” where she outlines the moment that she realized her life was about to alter forever, trying to keep it together, set to perform in front of unknown spectators.
Overall, The Second Act is a transitional album for Missy Higgins. It is one where she exorcised her innermost thoughts in hopes for a clarified future full of light and hope… hence a second act. The definition of exceptional songwriting, Cryptic Rock gives Missy Higgins’ The Second Act 5 out of 5 stars.
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