Listen: Heather Woods Broderick -"A Call For Distance"

photo by Dusdin Condren

"Wait a minute. Who is that woman doing these beautiful harmonies?" was my first thought when I first saw an acoustic session Sharon Van Etten shot for Tramp standout "Leonard" featuring Heather Woods Broderick. I was enchanted and the fact that I had apparently encountered her before - as an inaugural member of the Portland chamber folk trio Horse Feathers a long with her brother Peter only added to my interest. Since her debut record From Ground, Heather Woods Broderick has mostly taken up the mantle of multi-instrumentalist/touring member in bands from Efterklang to more recently finding herself in the ranks of Sharon Van Etten's backing band where she plays everything from keys/synths, bass/guitar, to cello (though not so much of this recently). "A Call For Distance", the first single from her upcoming record Glider, however marks the first preview of new music from Heather Woods Broderick in nearly 7 years and finds her teaming up once again with her brother violinist/multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick.

"A Call For Distance" with it's gentle lilt and harmony-laden sprawl encapsulates just what drew my attention in the first place. It's nearly two minutes before the first words are even uttered but the production/arrangement is so diverse, so textural complex that you hardly even notice. The track builds not only off a trembling bassline but off of Heather Woods Broderick's own words "to live, to learn, to live"; repeated for effect, refracted in its harmonic doubling and atmospheric texturing. Considering how many elements she pulls into it, the track is surprisingly sparse - balancing the variety of instruments Heather Woods Broderick has at her disposal with her subtle sense of utility and propriety in its narrative buildup.



Heather Woods Broderick's follow up to 2009's From Ground, Glider is out July 10th on Western Vinyl. Pre-order is available now.

Laura Gibson - La Grande (2012)

I discovered singer/songwriter Laura Gibson in the same burst of all-consuming curiosity borne from Sharon Van Etten's i-D session for "Leonard". Turns out Heather Woods Broderick (who provides those sweet, sweet vocal harmonies) was also a member of Laura Gibson's backing band. A couple spins of Beasts of Seasons later and Gibson's La Grande was majorly on my to-do list.

 La Grande begins with a rush of percussion much like Feist's Metals but that's where the comparison ends. "La Grande" sets up the right amount of tension and drama as Gibson weaves her delicate narratives, adding in vocalizations and different voice effects to heighten the dramatic plodding bass lines and heavy boom-clang percussion. When "Milk-Heavy, Pollen-Eyed" begins, you're almost sure you're listening to a completely different album, the complete opposite of the rather noisy attention-grabbing opener, the track draws you in close with it's sudden quiet and plays not unlike a lovingly caressing lullaby.


La Grande is an absolute gem of an album: each track seems to draw from entirely different influences and source materials (like the sultry bossa nova-esque "Lion/Lamb") yet fit together with a stunning amount of cohesion that's evident both track by track and in the track's individual construction. Gibson creates a realm where each songs feeds equally off her intricate, breathtaking arrangements and her rather simple but no doubt earnest songwriting. The albums benefits mostly from Gibson's risktaking - Gibson's vocals are heartfelt and beautiful but she's not above applying the unpretty (like the aforementioned vocals effects in "La Grande"). La Grande is the perfect example of an album that's not emotionally claustrophobic but still manages to be endlessly sincere. Gibson isn't wearing her heart on her sleeve but her every word, verse, and quaver resonates with heart. The twinkling piano and craning flutes are just extra - properly utilized ornaments that dress the album's intimacy in a fancier packaging without distracting from it.

Get a taste of Laura Gibson with tracks "La Grande" and "Lion/Lamb" and/or the album streaming on Spotify.
 Laura Gibson - La Grande by cityslang

 Laura Gibson - Lion/Lamb by cityslang