Siren (Heather Nova album)

Siren
Studio album by Heather Nova
Released	June 2, 1998
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	60:53
Label	Big Cat/Work (North America)[1] V2 (UK)
Producer	Jon Kelly (tracks 1, 4, 7, 12, 13) Felix Tod (tracks 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 14) Youth (tracks 3, 6, 11)
Heather Nova chronology
Oyster (1994) Siren (1998) Wonderlust (2000)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	C−[3]
Pitchfork	7.0/10[4]
Slant Magazine	[5]
The Times	[6]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music	[7]

Siren is the third studio album by Heather Nova, released in 1998.^[8][9]

Critical reception

The Washington Post wrote: "The singer and three different producers have combined folk-rock guitar, discreet synthbeats and lush keyboards and strings into a deftly eclectic contemporary sound. The only time this slick pop-rock doesn't upstage Nova's sensibility, however, is when she's dispensing the breathless come-ons of songs like 'Make You Mine'."^[1]

AllMusic concluded that "it's Nova's unique vocal style and winning pop sensibilities that make Siren work as well as it does, doing double duty as substantive singer/songwriter statement and perfect pop-radio product."^[2]

Track listing

All songs written by Heather Nova.

1. "London Rain (Nothing Heals Me Like You Do)" – 3:49
2. "Blood of Me" – 3:59
3. "Heart and Shoulder" – 3:58
4. "What a Feeling" – 4:46
5. "Valley of Sound" – 4:20
6. "I'm the Girl" – 5:23
7. "Winterblue" – 4:56
8. "I'm Alive" – 3:40
9. "Widescreen" – 4:19
10. "Paper Cup" – 3:29
11. "Avalanche" – 4:07
12. "Make You Mine" – 4:56
13. "Ruby Red" – 4:05
14. "Not Only Human" – 5:06

Australian bonus disc

1. "Grow Young"
2. "Water From Wine"
3. "London Rain" (acoustic)
4. "Blind"
5. "Walk This World" (acoustic)

Japan bonus tracks

1. "Grow Young"
2. "Water from Wine"
3. "London Rain" (acoustic)

B-sides

1. "London Rain" (acoustic)
2. "Days & Nights"
3. "The Ship Song" (Nick Cave cover)
4. "Nothing"
5. "Many Rivers to Cross"
6. "Grow Young"
7. "Water to Wine"

Personnel

Musicians

• Heather Nova – acoustic guitar, violin, vocals
• David Ayers – guitar (14)
• Marcus Cliffe – bass guitar (4)
• Danny Cummings – percussion
• Geoff Dugmore – drums
• Guy Fletcher – piano, Hammond organ, tamboura, mellotron, Hawaiian guitar, Wurlitzer
• Nikolaj Juel – guitar, Moog synthesizer, Fender Rhodes
• Nadia Lanman – cello
• Monti – drums (2, 5, 8, 9)
• John Moore – saw
• Paul Sandrone – bass guitar
• Satin Singh – percussion
• Neil Taylor – guitar
• Youth – guitar (6), bass guitar (3, 6, 11)

Production

• Jon Kelly, Felix Tod, Youth – producers
• Lorraine Francis, Hugo Nicholson, Andrew Scarth – engineers
• Anne Dudley, Andy Green, Jon Kelly, Will Malone, Hugo Nicholson, Andy Wallace – mixing
• Steve Sisco – mixing assistant
• Roger Lian, Howie Weinberg – mastering
• Brian Fanning – PQ editing
• Jason Mayo, Felix Tod – programming
• Mike Diver, Heather Nova – photography
• Emma Jones – recording assistant

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Siren

Chart (1998–1999)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[10]	90
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[11]	24
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12]	16
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[13]	48
French Albums (SNEP)[14]	60
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15]	13
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[16]	18
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[17]	32
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[18]	33
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[19]	28
UK Albums (OCC)[20]	55
US Billboard 200[21]	176
US Billboard Heatseekers	12
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[22]	4
Scottish Albums (OCC)[23]	88

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for Siren

Chart (1998)	Position
German Albums Chart[24]	93

Singles

Chart performance for singles from Siren

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1998	"London Rain (Nothing Heals Me Like You Do)"	US Billboard Adult Top 40	31

References

1. "HEATHER NOVA 'SIREN' BIG CAT/WORK". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
2. "Siren - Heather Nova | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
3. Schinder, Scott. "Siren". EW.com.
4. "Heather Nova: Siren: Pitchfork Review". November 23, 2001. Archived from the original on 2001-11-23.
5. Cinquemani, Sal (January 23, 2002). "Review: Heather Nova, Siren". Slant Magazine.
6. Conolly, Paul (6 June 1998). "HEATHER NOVA (8/10). Siren. (V2 Records)". Newsbank. The Times. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
7. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music. London: Virgin Books. p. 289. ISBN 0-7535-0427-8.
8. "Heather Nova Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
9. "SIREN -- HEATHER NOVA". Hartford Courant. 20 August 1998. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
10. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 206.
11. "Austriancharts.at – Heather Nova – Siren" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
12. "Ultratop.be – Heather Nova – Siren" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
13. "Dutchcharts.nl – Heather Nova – Siren" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
14. "Lescharts.com – Heather Nova – Siren". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
15. "Offiziellecharts.de – Heather Nova – Siren" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
16. "Charts.nz – Heather Nova – Siren". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
17. "Norwegiancharts.com – Heather Nova – Siren". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
18. "Swedishcharts.com – Heather Nova – Siren". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
19. "Swisscharts.com – Heather Nova – Siren". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
20. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
21. "Heather Nova". Billboard.
22. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
23. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
24. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 8, 2016.