Haley Heynderickx Seed of a Seed LP

Paste The 100 Best Albums of 2024 - Rated 91/100!

Haley Heynderickx is back! Six years after her acclaimed 2018 debut album I Need to Start a Garden, the folk singer-songwriter returns with Seed of a Seed. Known for her emotive voice and intricate guitar work, Heynderickx's latest album promises to capture the same heartfelt storytelling and unique sound that won her a dedicated fanbase. Haley's musical journey continues to explore deep, personal themes with authenticity and grace.

Although her songs are rooted in the here and now, Heynderickx could be mistaken for a survivor of the '60s scene, when folk might have a tinge of psychedelia, and artists felt free to be their own eccentric selves.

Each song is precisely crafted, a polished object you could pick up and hold in your hands. But they keep their gesture through all this sculpting.

The Portland, Oregon-based singer injects some bluesy edge to her typically soft folk sound here as she shares home truths about finding ourselves when we're foundering. Her lyrics are sardonic and poetic, akin to 'Avant Gardener'-era Courtney Barnett. 'Gemini' moves from the sparse intensity of Heynderickx's voice, deftly plucked guitar and the occasional swell of strings to a bright lushness as soon as she utters the line, 'You know I finally begin to feel better,' the expansive soundscape reflecting the growth documented in the lyrics.

The guitar work may sound uncomplicated at first blush, but that's only because it's so effortless. Haley Heynderickx is a true triple threat—vocalist, lyricist and guitarist—and her genius arrangements unfold upon repeat listens.

Much like on her debut, every song here offers its own treasures, and Heynderickx still sounds like no one else.