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]
| Woodland Echoes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 August 2017[1] | |||
| Genre | Rock, pop, alternative, indie | |||
| Length | 42:04 | |||
| Label | Gladsome Hawk | |||
| Producer | Nick Heyward, Phillip Taylor, Ian Shaw, Oliver Heyward | |||
| Nick Heyward chronology | ||||
| ||||
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
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 83/100[9] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| Classic Pop | [11] |
| Mojo | [6] |
| The Observer | [12] |
| PopMatters | 9/10[13] |
| Record Collector | [14] |
| Sunday Express | [15] |
| Uncut | 8/10[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. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Is the Key by the Sea" | Nick Heyward, Phillip Taylor, Oliver Heyward | 4:22 |
| 2. | "Mountaintop" | Ian Shaw, N Heyward | 3:28 |
| 3. | "The Stars" | N Heyward, Taylor, O Heyward | 3:45 |
| 4. | "Beautiful Morning" | Taylor, N Heyward | 4:28 |
| 5. | "Who?" | Taylor, N Heyward | 3:10 |
| 6. | "Forest of Love" | Taylor, N Heyward | 3:15 |
| 7. | "Baby Blue Sky" | Shaw, N Heyward | 3:11 |
| 8. | "I Can See Her" | Shaw, N Heyward | 3:09 |
| 9. | "Perfect Sunday Sun" | Shaw, N Heyward | 3:17 |
| 10. | "New Beginning" | O Heyward | 3:30 |
| 11. | "I Got a Lot" | Shaw, N Heyward, O Heyward | 3:31 |
| 12. | "For Always" | Shaw, N Heyward | 2:57 |
| 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
- ^ a b "Nick Heyward: Woodland Echoes on PledgeMusic". PledgeMusic.com. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
- ^ "Calling Captain Summertime – the Nick Heyward interview". 20 July 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
- ^ "Nick Heyward exclusive world video premiere of 'Baby Blue Sky'". Music-News.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Nick Heyward announces new single 'Perfect Sunday Sun' + UK Tour dates'". Pure M Magazine. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
- ^ a b c Easlea, Daryl (September 2017). "Review: Former Haircut 100 leader is still enjoying a fantastic day". Mojo (286).
- ^ "Nick Heyward – Stars". Record Store Day UK. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ "The Stars 10″ released on Record Store Day 2018". NickHeyward.com. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ a b "Woodland Echoes". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
- ^ Sendra, Tim. Review: Nick Heyward – Woodland Echoes at AllMusic. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
- ^ a b c Harnell, Steve (September 2017). "Review: Best New Release – Nick Heyward: Woodland Echoes". Classic Pop (31): 89.
- ^ Mardles, Paul (6 August 2017). "Review: Nick Heyward: Woodland Echoes review – back and breezy as ever". The Observer. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
- ^ a b Ingalls, Chris (19 December 2017). "Review: Nick Heyward: Woodland Echoes". Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ a b Elliott, Mark. "Review: In the Nick of time". Retrieved 22 July 2017.
- ^ Townsend, Martin (6 August 2017). "Review: Nick Heyward's new record 'Woodland Echoes' is the album of the week". Retrieved 12 August 2017.
- ^ a b c Lewis, John (September 2017). "Review: Woodland Echoes". Uncut.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 August 2017.