Katie Herzig

To the eye-rolling haters of “born out of the box” progressive music, to all the soccer moms who’ve sworn off sonic rebellion for oh-it-feels-so-right radio, to all those whiny emo kids who think depression is synonymous with artistic substance, to all the pretentious critics who are too afraid to admit that creativity and accessibility don’t have to sleep in separate bedrooms: I eagerly give you Katie Herzig. Consider all your collective predilections dashed on the rocks below, and get ready to take the dive with a charming suite of pop delights that unravel like the ribbon on an expensive chocolate box.

One of the first albums released under charismatic folk-rocker Derek Webb’s legal download distribution brainchild, Noisetrade.com, Apple Tree is a mud-blooded mixture of jazz, folk, pop, and classic rock, complete with a charismatic leading lady who seems more the type to force the spotlight on her decidedly beaming face rather than wait for DeMille to give her the expected close-up. Think Norah Jones, K.T. Tunstall, Brandi Carlile, and Sia Furler; start with the giants, but please don’t stop there. Dismissing Herzig as yet another alluring female songstress would be the biggest mistake since a certain music critic declared Muse little more than an overproduced Radiohead knockoff. Elements in common they may share, but thankfully there’s substance below the presentation. The problem with pigeonholing Herzig’s particular take on an often-tried-but-truly-tired genre is that it ignores the effect of her music, a subtle unrest woven in and out of candy-sweet melodies.

Case in point: album opener “Songbird” chirps along as a dim-eyed “love, loss, and reflection” ballad. Strings? Check. Waltz-y acoustic strumming? Again, check. Fragile croon and heartbroken whispers? Check, and once more, check. What’s surprising is how sensitive Herzig’s lyrics manage to be without inducing either excessive pity or regretful distaste. Sure, she sounds like a wide-eyed “lover-not-a-fighter” type, but lines such as “…you live in your house, with your beautiful view, but I live in your apple tree…I am a songbird…telling stories in the shade, and I can’t fly away…” belie at least an attention for evocative imagery, at best a hidden bitterness that only comes out to bear gritted teeth when we’ve stopped to give credit to her powerful poetry. It’s not a fluffy kind of sensitivity, but rather a poised anger that manages to remain concealed only if we dismiss it, much like a cynic to this particular brand of music. Perhaps I’m grasping at straws, but later evidence suggests that this Apple Tree has more in its limbs than first meets the critical eye.

For instance, after the all-too-familiar unrequited love of “I Want to Belong to You” we are introduced to “Hologram,” one of the catchiest singles in recent memory. It’s more than the sum of its parts, though: chipper percussion, a hip-rocking bridge, funky guitar, and a freight-train of a chorus that’ll be stuck in your head before Herzig makes it through the second verse; but the subject matter dips its feet in the mixed waters of healthy desire and lust, the difference in sexual expression and heartfelt trust. Frankly, the content is surprising but well handled, and it’s this brand of courage that makes the whole album so fantastic.

The biggest challenge in music criticism is bringing oneself to point out flaws in a personal favorite, and Herzig’s mistakes seem so trivial in light of her successes, it’s a bit of a task to call her out on her weaknesses. Still, for posterity’s sake, “How the West Was Won” and “I Will Follow” both suffer from the same flaw: beautiful imagery that goes absolutely nowhere. The lyrics themselves are well constructed, and the hooks are notably engaging, but the music is so lightweight, those particular tracks wash over the listener with little lasting effect. In short? They’re more than filler, but less than perfect pop tunes along the lines of “Gypsy Girl” or “I Hurt Too.”

This one is a grower; don’t expect to come up for air the first time, raving about how Herzig has managed to make a deceptively simple but decidedly poignant classic. After a couple listens, though, her genius comes out from behind the curtains and lets us drink it in. After a dodgy first half, 2008 has a surprising new addition to its Best Albums list, a haunting masterpiece that cries out for help beneath all the smiles and hook-laden posturing.

↓ 2 comments

#1 Tim on August 18th, 2008 at 10:01 pm

mmmh, I guess I’ll have to give this another try. I listened to the first few tracks, pretty much said uggh, and moved on.

#2 John Wofford on August 18th, 2008 at 10:52 pm

Really? Wow. I’m not one for this genre (most of it’s pretty run of the mill), but my fiancee and I both love the CD.

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