Heather Woods Broderick
Glider (Western Vinyl)
Many will know Heather Woods Broderick for her work in Sharon Van Etten’s backing band, lending her ethereal, glowing vocals in perfect harmony with Van Etten’s. She has also lent her many talents to Horse Feathers, Efterklang and countless others over the past decade. Naturally, she is a drifter; a nomad, and while currently based in Portland, Oregon, her music has the heartbeat of wanderlust in a way only a true road warrior could understand.
Glideropens up with “Up The Pine," a soft, harmony-centric folk song with lots of guitar ambiance and twilight pedal steel. Songs like “Desert” and “A Call For Distance” all reflect the same melancholy, using organic ambiance, Broderick’s lush, evocative vocal harmonies and the occasional production flourish.
There are times when the record depends too heavily on mood than structure, like in “Mama Shelter”, where the song can get a little lost in its own beauty. But when she gets it right, specifically on “Wyoming”, she is the master of melancholy, and exercising her gift of giving us a soulful glimpse to the darker side of life.
Rating: ★★★1/2 (out of five)
