Miranda Lee Richards

They say that timing is everything. And, unfortunately, for Miranda Lee Richards, she's a little late. Though she's paid her dues since the late '90s as a sometimes-member of the revolving door line-up that is the Brian Jonestown Massacre and as an indie chanteuse, she has never quite shaken her underground obscurity. The likes of Emily Haines and Leslie Feist have already conquered the charismatic-yet-melancholic lady pop of which Richards should be the queen (hmm, Canadian conspiracy?). Even though The Light of X may be overlooked because the genre is well beyond saturated, it doesn't mean her third studio release is without merit.

The Light of X serves as a surprisingly appropriate title for these velvet-soft mix of ballads. Like a mathematic equation, whatever the X factor is in her song—be it folk-pop acoustic guitars, tremolo-affected steel pedal melodies, or plunking piano dirges—there is an irrepressible airiness and delicate simplicity to each composition. That said, her standout tracks are the ones that transcend the predictability of the lovelorn ballad genre. "Early November" impresses on its first notes, with a slinky bass line and a vocal delivery that only emotional exhaustion can bring.

By being so adept at these heartfelt (and wrenching) stories, Richards can be her own worst enemy by falling into the clichés that make love so universal. Lyrics like "I lose myself" and "I was the one / you could really talk to" aside, Richards is the unsung hero of female singer-songwriters, indie or otherwise. Fans of Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles, listen up; you've got a new (old) girl in town.

—Danielle Allaire
03.01.09

To an extent, Miranda Lee Richards has always been better defined by those around her. She tested her musical legs with the Brian Jonestown Massacre, co-writing several songs and singing backup vocals for the band, before launching a solo career with the help of producer Jon Brion and veteran drummer Matt Chamberlain. When the record tanked and her relationship with Virgin Records soured, Richards hit the road in support of more fortunate artists, touring the country alongside the likes of Tim Finn and the Jesus and Mary Chain. Years later, however, the well-networked songwriter appears to have finally found her own voice with Light of X, the long-anticipated follow-up to 2004's The Herethereafter. The voice in question has blossomed into an arresting, attractive thing, padded with layers of reverb and sprinkled with flower child pixie dust. Richards' songwriting has yet to match her delivery -- the songs typically go for mood over melody, a mishap that's aggravated by a lack of co-writers on this record -- but her vocals compensate for the lack, finding a home between the wearied croon of Hope Sandoval and the adolescent beauty of Harriet Wheeler. "Early November" is the true highlight here, a woozy pastoral ballad that wraps Richards' alto in harmonies and guitar chimes. When she lets loose toward the song's conclusion -- reprising the chorus with impassioned, wordless syllables -- she sounds downright gorgeous, basking briefly in the spotlight before retreating into the haze of organ and jangling arpeggios. Such moments of clear, blue-sky beauty show up throughout disc, but Light of X puts more emphasis on the aforementioned haze, which culminates in the spoken word Beat poetry and 5/4 time signature of the album's hidden track. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide