Personnel: Heather Nova (vocals, acoustic guitar); David Ayers (acoustic & electric 12-string guitars, electric guitar, bass); Nadia Lanman (cello); Youth, Gareth Thomas (bass); Dean McCormick (drums, percussion); Bob Thompson (drums); Hossam Ramsey (percussion); Moses Bones (background vocals).
Producers: Youth, Felix Tod.
Engineers: Chris Potter, David Bianco, Paul Rabiger.
Personnel: Heather Nova (vocals, acoustic guitar); David Ayers (electric guitar, 12-string guitar); Nadia Lanman (cello); Dean McCormick (drums, percussion); Bobby Thompson (drums); Hossam Ramzy (percussion).
Unknown Contributor Role: David Ayers.
In some ways, Heather Nova is more talented than many of her female singer/songwriter contemporaries. She has an appealing voice, strong lyrics, and memorable melodies -- that is, when she delivers. Unfortunately, many of her albums are uneven, with Nova delivering the goods as often as she misses the mark. The best moments on her second album, Oyster, rank among her very best work, demonstrating that she can pull off ballads, guitar pop, and hard rock with equal aplomb. The rest of the album isn't so much bad as it is bland, offering lesser versions of the good stuff. Certainly, Nova makes Oyster worth exploring -- it's just a little frustrating that the entire album doesn't deliver on the promise of its best moments. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Professional Reviews
Alternative Press (1/96, p.87) - "...Think of the dynamic formal experimentalism of Kate Bush tied to the raw emotional power of our modern-day confessionals....Like Bush, Nova is a musical painter, using a palette of sounds, voices, melodies and hooks to create wholly self-contained worlds. Oh, and she rocks, too."
