I was extremely pleased when I learned that Nashville based songwriter, Katie Herzig had a new album on the horizon a couple of months ago. Her previous releases, 2004’s Watch Them Fall and 2006’s Weightless, are beauties to behold and I anticipated that her latest, Apple Tree, would be of the same vein. And I was right.
From start to finish, Apple Tree firmly stands as something Herzig should be proud of, as it’s quite possibly her best album to date. She’s managed to blend her honey-sweet voice and superb songwriting skills to make an album bountiful with both playful energy and heartfelt, lyrically rich songs.
The album opens with ‘Songbird,’ a swaying, bittersweet ode to missed love in which Herzig sings,“She lays her head upon your shoulder / But all I see is the way that you hold her / You live in your house with a beautiful view / And I live in your apple tree.”
One will find pure, satisfying pop in ‘Hologram,’ which serves as one of Herzig’s loudest songs to date. But she delivers it flawlessly, giving the song an indescribable energy that needs to be listened to multiple times. But on ‘How The West Was Won,’ Herzig still mesmerizes, turning a softly brushed love song into delicate foot-tapper.
Herzig also teams up again with fellow songwriter, Kim Richey, penning together two of the songs that appear on Apple Tree. One of which is ‘I Will Follow,’ an infectious standout that will most certainly find itself on the radio or on television.
‘Forevermore’ closes the album with a jaunty, head-bopping sing-a-long about fairy tales and white knights, but don’t that mislead you. By the chorus you’re hooked and you’ll be humming it all day long.
I suppose that my only gripe is that at just under forty minutes, the album seems too short. But that’s hardly a valid complaint when met with an album chock-full of so many quality songs. That said,Apple Tree is red delicious. http://womenfolk.net
01. Songbird
02. I Want To Belong To You
03. Hologram
04. How the West Was Won
05. Wish You Well
06. Sumatra
07. I Will Follow
08. I Hurt Too
09. Gypsy Girl
10. Shovel
11. Forevermore
Gossip in the Grain is singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne's third full-length release, which was released on October 14, 2008. The album was produced by Ethan Johns and recorded in Box, England. Along with his band members, LaMontagne is also joined by singer/songwriter Leona Naess on "A Falling Through" and "I Still Care for You." As commented on LaMontagne's website, the new album "proves to be his most creative and emotionally expansive collection to date."[1]
The album hit #1 in album sales on iTunes on its release day.
2. Let It Be Me
3. Sarah
4. I Still Care For You
5. Winter Birds
6. Meg White
7. Hey Me, Hey Mama
8. Henry Nearly Killed Me (It’s A Shame)
9. A Falling Through
10. Gossip In The Grain
1. The Kübler-Ross Model
2. Something About Ghosts
3. How Much In Blood?
4. A Broken Flamenco
5. Berlin & Bisenthal
6. I Name This Ship The Tragedy, Bless Her & All Who Sail With Her
7. The Howling Song
8. Song For A Failed Relationship
9. Bomb The Stock Exchange
