Album Review: Kate Miller Heidke - Nightflight

Kate Miller-Heidke's incline to the toppermost of Australia's poppermost feels like a gradual one – perhaps a little longer than should've been necessary – but still, the longevity has served well and her third album Nightflight feels like the one that will forever cement her here at home.

Nightflight might be a subtle animal but as each and every song unfolds excitingly, it turns into one mighty brilliant beast. It seems bizarre to comment on the progression of her songwriting with longtime collaborator Keir Nuttall – as the pair have some incredible songs under their belt – but it's truly a thing of beauty. Ride This Feeling is a stunning opener, forced forward comfortably with percussion and a soaring hook. Sarah is the tale of friends at Brisbane's Livid, 1997, watching Ben Folds Five before one of them goes missing – to call it intense would be an understatement. The title track possesses a commanding grandeur that only KMH could achieve while the acoustic treatment given to The Tiger Inside Will Eat The Child couldn't be more perfect and I'll Change Your Mind takes care of the radio side of things, thank you very much.

The crowning jewel of the piece, however, has to be Humiliation. It's forward-thinking in its production, confessional in its lyrics, restrained in execution and outright, jaw-droppingly brilliant. In fact, it's perhaps restraint that makes Nightflight such a flawless collection of work. Kate does extend those incredible vocal chords when necessary and combining those with male backing vocals is a stroke of genius. Overall, it's not only darker than what we're used to, but also it's cohesive from start to finish and, most importantly, the songs and execution are top shelf.