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Nov 04, 2024 Web Exclusive By Mark Moody

Oregon’s Haley Heynderickx arrived on the scene in the midst of the indie folk explosion that was 2016-2018. Giants like Fleet Foxes, Big Thief, Bon Iver, and an upstart Phoebe Bridgers walked the land. Presuming you missed Heynderickx’s self-released Fish Eyes EP, she landed squarely in the folky fury at the beginning of 2018 with her debut album, I Need to Start a Garden. The album picked up steam and popularity throughout the year, and though a crowded field, Heynderickx had some distinct advantages. Next level finger-picking, off-kilter time signatures, an otherworldly and clearly unique voice, oddball lyrics, and perhaps most of all a palpable sense that these elements were just finding footing with each other. It felt as if the joy of discovering Heynderickx’s music may have been just as fresh and exciting for her as it was for the listener. I Need to Start a Garden stood tall with anything else released that year and in many senses stood on its own.

Though Heynderickx did release a collaborative EP later in 2018 with Max García Conover, what every Heynderickx fan clamored for was LP number two and it took six years to get here. Not surprisingly, Heynderickx has matured as an artist, a singer, and a lyricist. So while Seed of a Seed doesn’t have some of the “first game” jitters that made I Need to Start a Garden so charming, it does make for an excellent listen. Grounded more fully in the forested nature that surrounds her, songs like “Foxglove” and the beautifully composed “Redwoods (Anxious God)” are true stunners. Backed by a stalwart trio of top notch musicians (plus others at times), “Redwoods” would knock the socks off of any Fairport Convention fan who likes their folk tangly.

Other standouts include the vivid imagery of a hummingbird at its work on the beautifully lilting “Mouth of a Flower” and the inner battles of the clever “Gemini”—Heynderickx herself has a late May birthday. Seed of a Seed is a lushly, gorgeous sophomore album from an artist that has become comfortable and accomplished at her work. The final four songs that follow “Redwoods” may not have some of the distinctiveness of the early half of the album, but all are lovely in their own right. Primarily, Seed of a Seed showcases an artist that has fully grown into their skin and her honeyed vocals retain a touch of the quirkiness that set her apart to begin with. (www.haley-heynderickx.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10