Heather Woods Broderick is breaking out. One of Laura Gibson and Sharon Van Etten’s backing band members, as well as a past member of Efterklang, it makes sense to finally be listening to her first full album, moving out of the shadows with her own voice and her own songs. She certainly doesn’t lack confidence as she delivers well-crafted songs that give a platform to the subtle weapon of her voice.
Glider is a low-key affair, but it’s quietly and gently powerful. Plenty of thought, intelligence and beauty has gone into these nine tracks. You can feel the presence of a sensitive song-writing soul. There are so many exquisite moments – she really has moulded a stunning little gem of a record which already feels like it will only get better with age.
The terrain covered varies little, but the atmosphere is dense, beautifully imagined, almost dream-like. The songs take over, demand attention, despite being delicate and sparse in points. There is something truly magnetic about the majority of the album. The final tracks are so good it lends to replaying the album over and over as you hope to make it last. It has a charm that is undeniable. If this is only the beginning of her solo career, perhaps the future indicates that those of us who have been lucky enough to stumble across her music are in for a treat, as this is close to sublime from start to finish. In fact, it’s probably just what is needed so the confidence grows and next time around she really cooks up the perfect storm. Only time will tell. As the final notes of the record submerge you cannot help but ache for more.