For too long Heather Woods Broderick’s name has been best known as a footnote on the work of others. Yes, she has played and toured with Sharon Van Etten, Damien Jurado and Beth Orton, but these experiences speak only to her brilliance as a musician. Her capability as a songwriter is often overlooked, despite being plain to hear for anyone who has spent time with her back catalogue.
Released in 2019, ‘Invitation’ was a misty, mythological odyssey; darkly alluring and compelling. And while her latest offering ‘Labyrinth’ shares many of its same qualities, it is compositionally different in ways few would expect.
Broderick’s music has always held a deep traditionalism, acoustically orchestrated and tethered to raw components. ‘Labyrinth’, by way of contrast, is a far more future-facing affair.
This is made abundantly clear from the outset on I Want To Go as a merry go round of electronic flourishes duels with tricky rhythms, and Crashing Against The Sun is just a few bpm short of a dancefloor anthem. Synths and multi-tracked vocals force the listener to take a few moments of reflection, and shield themselves from the always online onslaught on modern living.
There are also plenty of flashes of Broderick’s former self on ‘Labyrinth’, be it the dimly lit ballad Wandering or the crushingly beautiful closer What Does Love Care. The latter moves at a glacial pace but still packs a breathtaking punch. Blood Run Through Me may be where it all comes together. An alt-pop gem featuring backing vocals from D. James Goodwin and Lisa Hannigan, it sounds as if Broderick has woken from a dream, only to invite us into that world.
Broderick suits this new guise, but does not feel chained to it. One can’t help but suspect the next work we hear from her will be something entirely different, and likely all the better for it. For now, though, it seems only just that Heather Woods Broderick’s name stands alone in its own right as recognition of her masterful songcraft.
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