Week 41

Heather Maloney by Heather Maloney

Since my iTunes library is several weeks long, I rarely use Pandora or Spotify to shuffle through new music. However, every once in a while, I'm exposed to something by sheer happenstance that catches my ear. Enter: Heather Maloney.

Heather is a singer/songwriter with a unique sound. How's that for bland? But seriously, for someone who listens to 3-4 hours of music a day, hearing an artist who really catches my ear is rare. 

This is Heather's second album and well, I dig it. 

To me, what's special about this album is the approach that Heather takes. Instead of a bunch of songs that give her a chance to show off or get radio play, it reminds me of an instrumentalist's role: she let's the music come through her instead of the opposite. Very Bob Dylan. Check out some highlights, "Hey Broken," "Dirt and Stardust," and "Flutter." 

"Hey Broken," is probably my favorite tune from this album. It's got a hand-jive feel that has something reminiscent of Mumford and Sons or The Civil Wars. Thoughtful lyrics about knowing when to push against life and when to rest in a tasty package.

"Dirt and Stardust" is a more somber track about life's limited time. This one has Dylan written all over it if you ask me. Thoughtful, pensive, a little depressing, but overall... beautiful.

Here's "Flutter."

Heather is a force to be reckoned with. And although she may not wind up in the Top 40, she still has plenty of beauty to offer the world. Be sure to check out this album as well as the other two.