Doing What Comes Naturally: The Higgins

From a little community just south of Vancouver known as Delta, BC, comes a country trio with a vocal blend that can only come from growing up around music and each other. The Higgins, composed of siblings John, Eileen and Kathleen, come from a closely bound family of seven children. With a working dad, a stay-at-home mom, and no cable TV, there was plenty of opportunity for these three to indulge in the music that was always playing around the house. But it took a terrible forklift accident, which left John with a broken back, to bring this family band together. With months of recuperation ahead of him, John spent his time learning to play the guitar - and it wasn't long before his singing sisters joined him in this musical adventure.

The Higgins's sophomore album, Dreams Like Us, is already making waves on the country music scene. Their lead single Free Like Love went straight into heavy rotation on CMT and was the No. 1 most added song on Canadian Country radio during the first week of February 2010. Most of the record is co-written by Kathleen, and includes some big names in the realm of country songwriters like Kelly Archer, Deric Ruttan, Pam Rose, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, and many others. "Every song is written in the moment, from a specific emotion," says Kathleen. With all three singles from their 2008 debut album Real Thing reaching No. 3 on CMT's Chevy Cross Canada Countdown, and a collection of nine BC Country Music Awards in 2008-09 including Album of the Year, the future looks bright for The Higgins.

Yes, this album has emotion, but not quite the fiery flavour I had expected from this Irish-Canadian family. The songs are wholesome, sweet, but a bit too syrupy for me. I don't mind the occasional country band, but beneath its honest, natural sound, it was missing that raw 'life experienced' tone. While the first few tracks showed off Kathleen and Eileen's beautiful harmonies, it wasn't until the fourth track - or ten minutes into the album -- that their voices finally piqued my interest. Burn You Back, a song that carries the theme of 'an eye for an eye' shows another side of this trio, a slightly more assertive version that I can relate with better. The Irishness really comes through here, which gives the melody an interesting Celtic sound.

John's voice is interspersed through his sisters' harmonies, adding a nice accent here and there, but often overshadowed by them. There was only one song where his clear tenor really came through, and that was on the track I Ride Alone. Even though his time in the spotlight was short, it was nice to finally hear his voice separate from his sisters. 

It is still hard for me to distinguish between Kathleen and Eileen's voices, but it doesn't really matter since they both have a pleasant tone and clarity. The album is short, coming in at just under thirty minutes, which is something my ADD personality can really appreciate. Although this isn't an album I'd choose for those summer road trips I often find myself on, it is something I would expect to hear playing at a family pool party or accompanying the incessant buzz of cicadas on a humid back porch.

For more on The Higgins please visit: www.higginsmusic.com. 

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