Saturday, 15 February 2025

Seed Of A Seed. Haley Heynderickx

Haley Heynderickx maakte in 2018 indruk met haar inmiddels alweer vergeten debuutalbum, maar doet dit opnieuw met het nog wat mooiere Seed Of A Seed, dat wederom een geweldige zangeres laat horen.

Seed Of A Seed van Haley Heynderickx is een album dat het uitstekend deed in het herfstzonnetje van november. De warme en grotendeels akoestische instrumentatie is smaakvol en sfeervol en past prachtig bij de bijzondere stem van Haley Heynderickx, die wat mij betreft betovert met fraaie en karakteristieke zang. Seed Of A Seed bevat vooral folksongs en het zijn folksongs die deels zijn geworteld in de Laurel Canyon folk uit de jaren 60 en 70, maar op een of andere manier kunnen de songs van de Amerikaanse muzikante ook eigentijds klinken, zeker wanneer ze net wat ruwer zingt. Seed Of A Seed is een album om heerlijk bij weg te dromen en wordt vervolgens alleen maar mooier.

De Amerikaanse muzikante Haley Heynderickx debuteerde in het prille voorjaar van 2018 met het prachtige I Need To Start A Garden. Het album, dat tot mijn verbazing al weer ruim zesenhalf jaar oud is, duurde maar net een half uur, maar maakte in dat half uur indruk met vrij sober ingekleurde en wat nostalgisch klinkende folksongs. In muzikaal opzicht had de muzikante uit Portland, Oregon, in de basis genoeg aan fraai akoestisch gitaarspel, maar door de bijzonder mooie accenten van onder andere de trombone klonk I Need To Start A Garden zeker niet als een Spartaans folkalbum.

Het debuutalbum van Haley Heynderickx sprak in muzikaal opzicht zeer tot de verbeelding, maar het album maakte op mij vooral een onuitwisbare indruk door de prachtige en zeer expressieve stem van de Amerikaanse singer-songwriter. Door het nostalgische karakter van het debuutalbum van Haley Heynderickx werd ze vooral in het hokje Laurel Canyon folk geduwd, maar zeker in de wat ruwer klinkende songs deed I Need To Start A Garden me ook met enige regelmaat denken aan de wat soberdere songs van PJ Harvey en Jeff Buckley.

Alle reden dus om met hoge verwachtingen uit te kijken naar het tweede album van Haley Heynderickx en dat album is deze week dan eindelijk verschenen. Ook Seed Of A Seed is met 35 minuten muziek wat aan de korte kant, maar ook de tien songs op het nieuwe album zijn prachtig.

Seed Of A Seed opent met de akoestische gitaar en de stem van Haley Henderickx. Het klinkt folky, maar door de energieke en wat venijnige zang heb ik ook weer direct associaties met PJ Harvey, maar dan wel PJ Harvey die in de hoogtijdagen van de Laurel Canyon folk aan de oppervlakte is gekomen.

De sobere klanken maken naarmate de song vordert plaats voor een wat voller geluid en ook dit keer slaagt Haley Heynderickx er in om op te vallen met bijzondere klanken. De trombone van het vorige album heeft plaats gemaakt voor een cello en hiernaast vallen de mooie bas- en elektrische gitaarlijnen op.

Invloeden uit de Laurel Canyon folk spelen nog altijd een belangrijke rol in de muziek van Haley Heynderickx, die als ze nog net wat expressiever zingt ook wel wat aan Joni Mitchell doet denken. De zang zorgde op het debuutalbum van de muzikante uit Portland, Oregon, voor het meeste onderscheidend vermogen en dat is dit keer niet anders. Stemmen als die van Haley Heynderickx kunnen me makkelijk tegen staan, maar ik vind de zang op Seed Of A Seed echt prachtig, al is het jammer dat de wat ruwere momenten dit keer beperkt in aantal zijn.

De relatief ingetogen instrumentatie ondersteunt de stem van de Amerikaanse muzikante op zeer trefzekere wijze en zorgt er voor dat de zang nog wat meer opvalt. Omdat Haley Heynderickx haar inspiratie deels zoekt in het verleden klinkt ze anders dan de indie-folkies van het moment, maar Seed Of A Seed is zeker geen album dat in het verleden is blijven hangen.

Na 35 minuten ben ik nog lang niet verzadigd, maar gelukkig zijn de songs op het album interessant genoeg om ze flink wat keren te kunnen beluisteren, ook direct achter elkaar. Haley Heynderickx heeft ons wel heel lang laten wachten op de opvolger van I Need To Start A Garden, waardoor ze helaas alweer wat vergeten is, maar met het bijzonder mooie Seed Of A Seed maakt ze duidelijk dat we nog steeds rekening moeten houden met haar bijzondere talent.

Erwin Zijleman


Je kunt Seed Of A Seed hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://haleyheynderickx.bandcamp.com/album/seed-of-a-seed

Friday, 14 February 2025

Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory. Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory

Sharon van Etten has released several records over the past years and some of them can be found on this blog since 2014, but never as Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory. The story behind this is that this is a band album and not a record by Sharon van Etten with musicians in the studio. Just like the almost Cubist artwork shows. This is a band photo.

This certainly led to another kind of record. Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory is an album that is all over the place. From atmospheric, slow pieces like 'Fading Beauty' to several electronic tracks'. That does make listening to the album an effort. Not because of a lack of quality but due to all the leaps the listener has to take to keep up with the direction of the album. There were no limitations to where the band could go. And did the four of them use that allowed freedom!, as I can imagine it liberated Van Etten's from her chains as well.

Reading the bio, the first song came together rather spontaneously when rehearsing for the previous tour supporting the 'We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong' album. The band started jamming on a new idea and a new song was born, 'Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)'.

The album starts with a contradiction. 'Live Forever' and 'Afterlife' are the titles of the first two songs. The question "Who wants to live forever?" does provide some context, unless the answer is yes, of course. Then there's no afterlife. If no, we all have to wait and see, as no one came back to inform us. At least not in my case. I'm not taking changes and enjoy my self in the here and now.

In the past, I've made a comment that I found there was not enough emotion put into one of Sharon Van Etten's albums. It led to an angry response from a reader. To avoid any misunderstanding, Sharon goes all out in some of the songs on her new album, starting with the opening song. 'Live Forever' at some point is in fear of jumping out of my speakers into the great unknown.

Musically, the album on the one hand sounds modern with all the synths going on in there but on the other also sounds very 80s. The Human League at the time of 'Don't You Want Me' or 'Open Your Heart' comes to mind, were it not that Van Etten sings with a punky attitude in 'Idiot Box' and guitars are present. This combination works very well and is one of the highlights of the album. If this is what the band collaboration brings, bring me some second helpings and desert later please.

The use of synths against different backgrounds is what really stands out on Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory. They are everywhere on the album, either as the background producing atmospheric swaths of sounds or as the lead instrument. They determine are large part of the atmosphere of the album. In general it is extremely positive, in a few songs they tend to be a bit too much (of a good thing). Overall, I have to say I can very well live with the mood presented.

Although I have to admit not to be an in-depth connaisseur of Sharon van Etten's oeuvre, I have heard enough to be pleasantly surprised. Take almost punkrocker 'Indio'. It makes for very varied and pleasant listening.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can buy or order Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory here:

https://sharonvanetten.bandcamp.com/album/sharon-van-etten-the-attachment-theory

Thursday, 13 February 2025

Glutton For Punishment. Heartworms

Heartworms debuted on this blog a few weeks ago with its single 'Extraordinary Wings'. The single certainly made me want to hear more and here we are. Glutton For Punishment delivers and so much more. The London based musical project of Jo Jo Orme covers a lot of territory. As she writes on her Bandcamp page: "With my EP, people kind of pigeonholed me into post-punk. I was like, Cool, I can do that, but I can also do way more". So she may have surprised, perhaps even shocked some people. As I'm new to her music, she caught me totally with fresh ears as far as her music is concerned.

For Glutton For Punishment Orme worked with producer Dan Carey and then you've managed to snare a big name for your debut record. It says something about him believing in a new voice but also in her music. The individual songs are all but forced to go into one direction. Artistic freedom is a great thing but in music it may be harder and harder to get with ten people working on the parts of the hits of the day. Carey may have had a steering role but not towards conformity.

I will refrain from singling out each and every individual song. For that Glutton For Punishment is far too much a whole. What I will do is point out that one song can be fully postpunk anger but another an electronic ballad over which Jo Jo Orme's voice seems to be soaring. In short, she surprises each and every song. Yes, I prefer one song over another, but as a whole this album works, totally.

Okay, one example. Take single 'Extraordinary Wings'. It starts out as a bare song with an electronic beat under it. Then start listening how it slowly builds and builds into a song of epic proportions. Also, listen to all the different voices the singer brings to the song. Then it all drops away leaving the voice bare. 'Extraordinary Wings' is an impressive song.

The single is an individual version of the whole album. Heartworms takes you on a musical adventure that surprises and endears. Heartworms caught me alright.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght


You can listen to and order Glutton For Punishment here:

https://iamheartworms.bandcamp.com/album/glutton-for-punishment

Wednesday, 12 February 2025

Disappointment Machine. Arliston

Arliston's album review was in the air. After the singles reviews in the past months it became kind of predictable. Yet, it was harder then might be expected. I will come to that later. First, let me state that Disappointment Machine is an album that does all but disappoint. It is an album filled with wide swaths of atmospheric music, that seldom becomes concrete. In fact many sounds are sort of obfuscated in digital treatments. This makes for a very solemn sounding album, that I have to be in the mood for. It's not for every moment of the day.

Arlington is a U.K. duo, Jack Ratcliffe (vocals) and George Hasbury (guitar, production), releasing its debut album. Listening to it I am reminded of The National immediately or more specific its singer Matt Berninger. Ratcliffe is able to sing just as low but also has the vocal range to go far higher. The duo must be The National fans though, as the music has the same atmosphere regularly. As I am a late comer to the The National party, I had to settle into Disappointment Machine first.

Photo: Arliston
The three singles I've reviewed in 2024 somehow did not prepare me for a whole album of this moody music. As I liked all three, I took my time to get acquainted with the album. And slowly but surely it grew on me. Take the title track. I truly did not know what to think of it at first. And then I discovered the instruments that are added to the piano and atmospherics (percussion). Jack Ratcliffe's voice goes into the deep and into heights. Especially in the background vocals. Slowly but surely the track gets more beautiful and impressive.

This example sort of sums up Disappointment Machine for me. When I'm in the mood for this album I soar to great heights with it. If not, it sort of leaves me cold, because I cannot connect to its mood. In other words, this is a late evening album, preferably with a headset on, not disturbed by anyone. Tranquil moments like these are rare in a busy life, but have to be cherished immensely. I had one with 'Grace' yesterday evening and can imagine having one with Arliston sometime soon, listening to George Hasbury's music and production and travelling with Jack Ratcliffe's stories.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

Tuesday, 11 February 2025

Timo de Jong live. Living room show Haarlem, Sunday 9 February 2025

Photo: Wout de Natris
Timo de Jong played a support show for Hackensaw Boys in April of 2024 at the Patronaat in Haarlem. De Jong stood on stage with just a guitar strapped to his chest and gave the impression to be playing in his own living room. Telling stories between his songs, as if there was no time constraint as a support act in any way, nor a stage he was standing on. In between he got the audience singing as if we all knew his songs by heart. "Olivia"!

Last Sunday we actually got to see him play in a living room and there was no difference in his presentation, except that here he really did have the time and took it to tell his stories like real singer-songwriters can. As that he is. Moving between folk, roots, country (of old), all his songs tell a story or comment on life in all the various ways it occurs. From personal observations of (his) life, to ants with a fatal disease or American TV preachers, it may all come by.

If you had asked me a year ago, before that live show in Haarlem, I would have said that Timo de Jong's music is not for me. It is too country. His show won me for him, but since his music has too. And then that voice. It has a great quality, as he can go deeper and then go some more. The kind of voice that resonates and commands. Thanks to a great articulation, every word can be heard and processed to connect to the story he's singing.

Photo: Wout de Natris
Although Timo will tell you about singers like Marty Robbins as his favourites, I noticed something else as well. It would not take an awful lot of editing his lyrics to fall into a musical niche like Tom Lehrer or Jaap Fischer, where musicality is mixed with comedy. His music may be serious, his lyrics have a touch of fun as well. The stories told add to that impression. The combination is totally entertaining. On record, it makes for great listening.

Currently, Timo de Jong is on route to new things, as he will start playing with Amsterdam bluegrass band Leadbetters soon and record songs with them to be released later this year. Watch this space folks for more later this year.

And beware, should Timo play a living room concert in your neighbourhood, don't forget to go over.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can find Timo de Jong's music here:

https://timodejong.bandcamp.com/album/save-yourself-from-falling-session