Concert Review: My Brightest Diamond Is Pure Shine
BRIC Arts has been a long staple of the Brooklyn Cultural scene and with forming BRIC House, a haven for artists, they have created a space for unique, powerful voices to perform. I explain this little backstory because now, more than ever, the borough has the chance to gain access to exceptional, eccentric talents like, My Brightest Diamond. This band headlined by multi-instumentalist and vocalist Shara Nova, previously Shara Worden, is the equivalent of an “unorthodox jukebox”.
From the beginning of the concert, you feel like you have taken a psychedelic trip. Yet, it is not the colorful, moody changes of lighting that add to this sensation. It is the light that is Shara Nova’s free-spirited, fire-cracker personality that opens the audience to transcend norms and the boundaries of their mind. This may come off as an exaggeration, but there is a very trance-like quality to Nova’s performance. Her vibrato, alone, can take you to the pits of hurt or the clouds of Heaven. It is as if she takes a magical potion before she performs that permits her to evoke emotion through the power of perfect pitch. Her celestial singing in I Have Never Loved Someone is guaranteed to make you cry. The song Apparition is hauntingly beautiful and makes you feel like you are walking through a horror movie, while I Am Not The Bad Guy is the dance anthem for those dealing with guilt. Thus, She can yodel in pain or hit a high-note with the angels, but, in both, make you feel like you are journeying into an emotional experience with your mind as a carrier for her vision.
I call My Brightest Diamond an unorthodox jukebox because Nova spans all genres to create an artistry that cannot be defined. She goes from rock to jazz to African music to electro-pop without any trouble. She is unflinching in both her talent and her audacity to be who she wants to be and do what she wants to do. Thus, there is a spontaneity and element of surprise to her performance because you literally do not know what music she will play next. Such a multi-faceted singer is rare, but what makes Nova a gem is her charisma. She is a petite woman with fiery red, “mad scientist” hair, but she is also fearless and friendly. She spews jokes and bits of wisdom to the audience in between her set to further her role as their storyteller because, ultimately, that is who she is. Nova is not a simple vocalist, she is a narrator and a complex one.
There is a genius to My Brightest Diamond that allows the band to crackle with a dynamic, intelligent energy. Nova’s musical compositions and lyrics are filled with layers of intimate details that are nothing short of poetic. She really is brilliant in her capacity to orchestrate a powerful song on the mundane of daily life. She can sing about picking up apples from her grandfather’s tree or watching her lover do laundry and make it sound like the most moving life experience. Furthermore, her physicality is infectious. She jumps around the stage and swoons with her guitar as if they are ballroom dancing partners. In addition, her entrance into the audience for her cover of Fever was amazing. As she danced and sang with members of the crowd, she added a layer of intimacy that solidified her concert as a one of a kind, unifying experience. For More Information On My Brightest Diamond here is her Official Website.
