Seed of a Seed
By Haley Heynderickx
by Joe Vickrey
Seed of a Seed is a folk masterpiece, and the serene nature of the album shows a promising hope for a new chapter in the genre.
Seed of a Seed has been the most impactful acoustic album I’ve heard since I discovered Neil Young as a teenager. Truthfully, I’d never heard of Haley Heynderickx before Spotify put her in my Discovery Weekly playlist, and had I seen her name first I may have skipped over it thinking it wasn't for me. Fortunately, my first experience with her music was a blind listen to “Foxglove.”
The song’s elegantly fingerpicked guitar hook immediately woke me from my workday trance, then its subdued energy put me into an entirely new trance. The train beat and upright bass accompaniment set the stage for Haley’s voice, and as soon as I heard her sing, I was sold. While I typically shy away from comparing voices, I couldn’t help but think that Haley Heynderickx felt reminiscient of Mary Ford with a bit richer tonality. Her range and control over her voice is jaw dropping without showboating.
Following “Foxglove,” I had to dive into the album. Seed of a Seed is akin to '60s folk, while trademarking its own unique character. “Gemini” was a powerful first track, and it sealed my interest. “Gemini” contains all the imagery and wit of a Courtney Barnett song, but it’s presented in a more matured and eloquent production. The instrumentation and production on Seed of a Seed is beautifully consistent throughout.
The acoustic guitar and vocal-centered pieces help the theme of the album resonate as they are only occasionally joined by bass, drums, and cello. There’s probably double the amount of cello featured than drums, and double the drums than electric guitar.
The cello accompaniment really does add a lovely dimension to the album. It’s not a crowded string section or a violin quartet fighting for the same sonic space as the voice, but it makes for a perfect texture in an open mix. “Redwoods (Anxious God)” made for my favorite cello moment on the album. The song itself sounds like Joni Mitchell joined by a 1967-Beatles string part. The song’s charm is found in both the melodic social consciousness of Joni as well as the playfulness of the Fab Four that it shares.
The album’s title track, though brief, reflects on ideas of generational effects on offspring and the simple desires of being human. Lyrically, it’s a good thesis statement for the collection, and the lyrical content felt enormously refreshing for the genre.
In ten short songs, Haley Heynderickx took me from a first time listener to a total fan. The emotional attachment of her songs prick the heart and clear the mind.
The serene aura of Seed of a Seed is a needed break from the world inside. The collection flows so naturally that I never wanted it to end, yet it closes so elegantly that I can’t fault it for closing the curtains at the finale. Haley Heynderickx shows promising hope for a new chapter in folk music with this instant classic.
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