Woodland Echoes

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Woodland Echoes
Studio album by
Nick Heyward
Released4 August 2017[1]
GenreRock, pop, alternative, indie
Length42:04
LabelGladsome Hawk
ProducerNick Heyward, Phillip Taylor, Ian Shaw, Oliver Heyward
Nick Heyward chronology
The Mermaid and the Lighthouse Keeper
(2006) 		Woodland Echoes
(2017)

Woodland Echoes is the ninth solo album by English singer-songwriter Nick Heyward. It was released on 4 August 2017 on Gladsome Hawk Records. He has described it as accidentally biographical and influenced by "love, nature, togetherness, ‘70s’ pop, America, open spaces and afternoon tea".[2]

Singles[edit]

The first single is a double A-side with the songs 'Baby Blue Sky' and 'Mountaintop' and was released on 30 June 2017.[1] The video for 'Baby Blue Sky' was exclusively premiered by Music-News.com on 18 July 2017.[3]

The second single, 'Perfect Sunday Sun', was premiered by Billboard on 31 October 2017.[4] Heyward describes the song as "my interpretation of indecision, idealism and havering – a kind of trilogy, like Krzysztof Kieślowski's Three Colours film series".[5] "It starts off in Richmond, goes to Bedford Falls in It's A Wonderful Life, to San Francisco to Hitchcock".[4]

'The Stars', described by Mojo magazine as a top 10 single and the best track on the album,[6] was announced as the third single in conjunction with Record Store Day UK on 6 March 2018.[7] It will be available on 10" vinyl with an exclusive b-side, 'Everyone & Everything'.[8]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic83/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Classic Pop[11]
Mojo[6]
The Observer[12]
PopMatters9/10[13]
Record Collector[14]
Sunday Express[15]
Uncut8/10[16]

Rated at 82 in Metacritic's Best Albums of 2017,[9] it's described as a "tonic for life"[13] and "an aural injection of Vitamin D."[11] The album's pastoral sound[16] and unmistakable Englishness[6] has garnered comparisons to Lennon and McCartney,[14] Paul Weller[11] and Teenage Fanclub.[16]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Nick Heyward

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Love Is the Key by the Sea"Nick Heyward, Phillip Taylor, Oliver Heyward4:22
2."Mountaintop"Ian Shaw, N Heyward3:28
3."The Stars"N Heyward, Taylor, O Heyward3:45
4."Beautiful Morning"Taylor, N Heyward4:28
5."Who?"Taylor, N Heyward3:10
6."Forest of Love"Taylor, N Heyward3:15
7."Baby Blue Sky"Shaw, N Heyward3:11
8."I Can See Her"Shaw, N Heyward3:09
9."Perfect Sunday Sun"Shaw, N Heyward3:17
10."New Beginning"O Heyward3:30
11."I Got a Lot"Shaw, N Heyward, O Heyward3:31
12."For Always"Shaw, N Heyward2:57
Total length:42:04

Personnel[edit]

  • Nick Heyward – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards, glockenspiel, wood saw, whisk
  • Matt Backer – electric guitar, slide guitar
  • Denis Blackham – mastering
  • Anthony Clark – organ, strings, keyboards, Hammond organ, Rhodes piano
  • Blair Cunningham – drums
  • Claire Finley – backing vocals
  • Oliver Heyward – producer, bass
  • Ericson Holt – Hammond organ, piano
  • Joey Marchiano – drums
  • Ryan Robinson – electric guitar, slide guitar
  • Ian Shaw – producer, drum/percussion programming (on "Mountaintop")
  • Chris Sheldon – mixing
  • Simon Taylor – saxophone (on "Who?")
  • Phillip Taylor – producer, double bass, bass guitar, keyboards, drum programming
  • Alisa Walker – fiddle (on "Mountaintop")

Charts[edit]

Chart (2017) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[17] 73
UK Albums (OCC)[18] 89
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[19] 4
UK Vinyl Albums (OCC)[20] 32

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Nick Heyward: Woodland Echoes on PledgeMusic". PledgeMusic.com. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Calling Captain Summertime – the Nick Heyward interview". 20 July 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  3. ^ "Nick Heyward exclusive world video premiere of 'Baby Blue Sky'". Music-News.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Nick Heyward Talks New Video For 'Perfect Sunday Sun,' Haircut One Hundred Reunion Odds and Body Parts: Premiere'". Billboard. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Nick Heyward announces new single 'Perfect Sunday Sun' + UK Tour dates'". Pure M Magazine. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Easlea, Daryl (September 2017). "Review: Former Haircut 100 leader is still enjoying a fantastic day". Mojo (286).
  7. ^ "Nick Heyward – Stars". Record Store Day UK. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  8. ^ "The Stars 10″ released on Record Store Day 2018". NickHeyward.com. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Woodland Echoes". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  10. ^ Sendra, Tim. Review: Nick Heyward – Woodland Echoes at AllMusic. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  11. ^ a b c Harnell, Steve (September 2017). "Review: Best New Release – Nick Heyward: Woodland Echoes". Classic Pop (31): 89.
  12. ^ Mardles, Paul (6 August 2017). "Review: Nick Heyward: Woodland Echoes review – back and breezy as ever". The Observer. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  13. ^ a b Ingalls, Chris (19 December 2017). "Review: Nick Heyward: Woodland Echoes". Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  14. ^ a b Elliott, Mark. "Review: In the Nick of time". Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  15. ^ Townsend, Martin (6 August 2017). "Review: Nick Heyward's new record 'Woodland Echoes' is the album of the week". Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  16. ^ a b c Lewis, John (September 2017). "Review: Woodland Echoes". Uncut.
  17. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  18. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  19. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  20. ^ "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 August 2017.

External links[edit]

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