Heidi Berry was one of the signature artists of the early 90s 4AD Records roster. Her powerful voice, backed up with lush and melancholic arrangements, helped define the style of the label while remaining uniquely her own. But before she emerged there, she had a brief tenure at another iconic label, Creation Records. Her releases on the label have now been remastered and reissued on vinyl by Glass Modern, and they offer a chance to reevaluate her early recordings.
Firefly appeared in 1987, a mini-album of six lovely songs. Though her voice is recognizable, the music here is more poppy, and it’s not hard to make comparisons to contemporary act 10,000 Maniacs. Featuring Felt’s Martin Duffy on piano, the songs are breezy and upbeat, and Berry’s voice is pleasant on songs “Out Of My Hands” and “Firefly.” It’s on “Will It All Change” and “Houses Made Of Wood” that we hints of the more melancholic style that would become her signature style. Firefly is tentative, but lovely in its charm.
Below The Waves came in 1988, and as the press release states, it truly is the blueprint for what she would release on 4AD in the 90s. “Ribbons,” which opens the album, immediately signals a more mature sound from Firefly. Laden with strings, and with Berry’s vocals noticeably darker than Firefly, it sounds like it could have been a Love outtake. The rest of Below The Waves doesn’t drastically stray from that formula, but because it’s such a rewarding formula, that’s not a drawback. Other standouts include the lovely “Riverside,” the epic “Northshore Train,” and the melancholic “Little Tragedy.” These are fine songs that highlight Berry’s talent as a songwriter.
And that’s the power of Below The Waves—it’s a gorgeous record wrapped in lush, downcast arrangement that warm the heart while appealing to the heartbroken. It might not have been the sort of thing Creation Records was good at promoting, but it opened the door for her at legendary 4AD Records, where she would call home for the rest of her career. It’s sad that she stepped away and hasn’t released new music or played live much since the 1990s, but the good news is that the interest in these reissues have led her to perform this material live. Here’s hoping that between these reissues and her occasional Facebook Live performances will lead to a comeback she and the world at large is in need of.
Purchase Firefly/Below The Waves: Glass Modern
The Recoup 
Leave a Reply