Album Review: Mia Dyson - The Moment

Now and then there comes a moment that hits you so hard you're forced to take notice. Mia Dyson, Australian songstress (and ARIA winner) is well attuned to moments like that – if her latest album is anything to go by. The Moment sticks out like a hitchhiker's thumb willing you to stop, pick it up and keep it in your car for a long drive.

Dyson's guttural wails are thunderous and, like any great blues artist, telling. Moving to the states, the blues Mecca, in 2009 evidently left her with many stories to tell. Among them, a management change and the subsequent rebranding of Dyson as BOY – an androgynous musical act and the brainchild of The Eurythmics rocker, Dave Stewart. But the gimmick (luckily) didn't stick for long and Dyson decided the Pandora's box of opportunities Stewart offered (a reported tour with Tom Petty and the opportunity to work with Bob Dylan) wasn't worth the compromise. The Moment is a testament that, although physically she may look juvenile, Dyson sounds like a woman with experience far outreaching her years.

Howling blues-rock anthems are abundant with When The Moment Comes and Pistol being among the best, and Dyson proves her versatility with ballads like the moving To Fight Is To Lose. If it's true what they say about writing what you know, Dyson is more than apt at hitting the bottom, dusting herself off and coming back fighting. Every track on The Moment demands attention, be it Dyson on wailing slide guitar or simply strumming away. For anyone who hasn't come across Mia Dyson, The Moment is a great place to start and, as she's currently touring the country, one can only hope there are plenty more moments like this still to come.