Heather Smith is a singer-songwriter from New Hampshire who’s just released her debut album, Stronger, and what a journey has it been for her until this! The artist has come a long way, starting out as a backup singer and SUB-LEAD singer on other projects until her first band Glitter & Camo, all while struggling and showing brave resiliance in order not to quit music entirely. The 51 year old singer eventually came into her own with Stronger, a stunning and delicate work within the alternative country realm that recounts her tales beautifully and confidently.
She has stated on several interviews how she always yearned for a career in the rough patch that is music, and kept rummaging through difficulties and sharpening her skills. The result is a collection of immaculate songs that cover a wide range of emotions, sounds and relies on a somewhat classic country production that still seems to push her forward.
“A couple years ago, I found the courage to take one tiny step in the direction of my wildest dreams. It seemed utterly impossible, and it made no logical sense“, she recalls on a blog post dedicated to the album announcement. “Out of the darkness, a realization hit me like a Mack truck; all along, it had only been myself standing in the way of my dreams. It was as if I was seeing a sunrise for the first time. It felt beautiful and right“, she concludes. From then on, filled with a newfound confidence, she wrote her debut album.
The self-written and self-produced record echoes a myriad of different influences that range from Tori Amos to Patsy Cline, as Heather seems to grow more and more into her own sound. Her voice sounds smooth as velvet, backed by a lovely arrangement of strings, banjos and traditional blends of acoustic and electric guitars. Her compositions sound and feel warm, exploring the world around her and going from sparse, delicate masterpieces to up-tempo ballads rooted in personal storytelling.
On Stronger Heather finally reveals herself as an artist, showcasing a natural talent of poignant lyricism that is only matched by her inner strength and dedication to the craft. She starts the album with classic 70s country sounding “Hey There” and the first lines we hear is ‘Hey there, how would you feel if I took you out with me just to look at all the things that we could see?‘ as an open invitation to embark on this lifelong journey, and only a fool would say no. It’s an extremely positive song, commenting on the beauty of the world around her and focusing on the journey itself.
Over the twelve tracks, we get to experience all of her inspirations and influences coming together as one cohesive and impeccable ride. Stronger flows as naturally as water runs in the river; constantly moving and never standing still while cleansing and purifying its surroundings. Amidst all of this, she still finds room for experimentations like the track “Alchemy” with its interesting use of percussion and strings, and the almost spoken word dynamics on “Room For One More”.
After a lifetime in the making, Heather’s vocals evoke deep and real human emotions with elegance and ease, something that only comes with time and maturity. Her melodies are catchy and honest, going from lullabies to slice of life cuts that contribute to adding depth and proportion to her work. Stronger is a beautiful piece of work, an album that feels articulate in both performance and composition and stands tall as a perfect testament of Heather’s talent. Looks like she made it, and now the sky is the limit and I hope she gets to soar even higher.
STREAM “STRONGER” NOW!
After a lifetime in the making, Heather’s vocals evoke deep and real human emotions with elegance and ease, something that only comes with time and maturity.
Stream on Spotify NOW! https://t.co/AmLLveOcHj pic.twitter.com/7tg25P7sRQ
— Jpgchief (@Jpgchief) June 18, 2024
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the center didn’t hold