Album Review: Mia Dyson - The Moment

Mia Dyson's new album comes just as she is preparing to embark on an Australia-wide tour. Since relocating to America a few years ago, while grappling with some significant hurdles (bankruptcy and a nasty break-up, to name a couple), The Moment certainly captures the essence of these rocky and unpredictable times.

Opener When The Moment Comes is a high energy rock'n'roll number which charges ahead as Dyson sings brazenly about making tough life decisions and overcoming any apprehensiveness. On Pistol, meanwhile, Dyson isn't coy about expressing what can be best described as life shattering heartbreak, as her powerful vocals capture the raw emotion of hopelessness and melancholy perfectly. Further still, Dancing On The Edge delves even deeper into despair and some beautiful piano work really completes the (gloomy) picture here. The closer Two Roads isn't much cheerier, but it certainly has a redemptive quality. In a musical sense, the drawn-out harmonica gives a nod to American country music and also enriches Dyson's blues style.

After listening to Dyson's album, it is safe to claim that her achievements extend beyond her talent for crafting quality music, as she courageously delves into her experiences of real pain and woe. In this way the album has a distinct cathartic feel as her strength and willpower to overcome certainly shines through. While, however, some of the themes which underpin her album may sound a tad predictable, The Moment certainly makes for a bold and provocative listen, rendering it one which is very hard to pass up.