Currently living in Alberta, Canada, Amy Heffernan started out her musical life as a drummer. She has since switched the sticks for her great sounding vocals; one that I've recently been indulging myself with. Her self-titled debut EP was written whilst living in South LA, whilst her latest offering - a full album titled 'Being Awesome' - was written in sunny California. Heffernan cites Robyn, Juliet and the Romantiques and Lady Gaga as inspirations to her; the latter offered an honorary nod to the tune of a Just Dance cover on the album. The vocals displayed here are confident, with hints of both a raw-folkish feel and a strong pop influence; it's definitely well worth a listen.
The title track, Being Awesome, is a punchy, upbeat pop/rock number and leads the album well. The vocals sound quite different which I like, not your stereotypical sound but something that really needs to be heard first hand to be appreciated. The chorus maintains the song's overall punch with a radio-friendly undertone and a well built structure. The song doesn't allow much chance to subside; its relentless drive is infectious and powerful, constantly maintaining the listener's interest. Even the breakdown/bridge section holds onto the 'four-to-the-floor' foot-tapping groove before bursting into an uplifting modulation (that's a key change to any non-musos!) for a final go round the chorus. It's got quite a Pink feel to it but I get the Lady Gaga reference in there too. Overall a really strong pop/rock tune.
Another stand-out track on the album is 'Used To Be A Light'. With a cool palm-muted guitar pattern and driving hi-hat groove, Heffernan's vocals sound fantastic over the first verse. The chorus is once more full-on and catchy, but it's definitely in the verses that the vocals stand out for what they really are; it's a slightly more intimate side Heffernan is letting us see. The breakdown is also great for this; her band sound fab and the vocal performances on the album really set this off as an overall great listen for fans of anything from the female pop and rock acts of today. She's definitely a versatile and widely-appealling artist.
To check out Amy Heffernan's digital press kit, and to have a sample listen to the album and her debut EP, click here or, alternatively, check out her Myspace page for a tour date near you.
OMG Im loving amy. where can i get her cd?
ReplyDeletehi and many thanks for reading! here's the link to her iTunes page where you can download her albums. alternatively, if you're after a phyiscal hard copy CD then might I suggest getting in touch directly on her Myspace page to see where it's available to buy or if they ship out?
ReplyDeletehttp://itunes.apple.com/album/amy-heffernan/id282863349