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Filled with lush melodies, verdant guitar lines, and the earthy warmth of Haley Heynderickx’s voice, “Seed of a Seed” is an album that grows and thrives like a garden in full bloom. Heynderickx, known for her soulful, folksy storytelling, has crafted a rich auditory landscape that blossoms with intricate textures and deeply personal lyricism. She explores themes of self-acceptance, nature, and lineage, creating an album that feels as honest as it is artful.
The album’s opening track, “Gemini,” eases listeners into Heynderickx’s reflections on identity. The song features tender and relatable introspection, and Heynderickx recounts moments of personal imperfection: “All the texts that I’ve avoided / All the persons I’ve annoyed.” She sings with a self-deprecating spirit that humanizes her flaws. The song’s refrain echoes the Gemini’s twin nature, opening with the line: “There’s a woman in the corner claiming / She is just the former one of me / And I am her, just out of context.” Deeply intimate, “Gemini” is the story of a woman settling into adulthood and learning to give herself grace.
Heynderickx draws heavily from nature throughout the album. In songs like “Foxglove” and “Mouth of a Flower,” she describes landscapes and animals with vivid imagery, urging listeners to reconnect with the natural world. Heynderickx wrote on Instagram, “I wanted to ask: how do we return to lives immersed in nature, when most of us live in the city?” In “Foxglove,” Heynderickx links nature to love with simple acts: “And I’ll take a foxglove / And I’ll twirl it all around / And I’ll feel next to you.” In “Mouth of a Flower,” she draws profound parallels between human behavior and animal instinct, comparing our tendency to “take” to that of hummingbirds and seagulls.
The album’s title track, “Seed of a Seed,” is a clear standout. Here, Heynderickx contemplates how lineage shapes one’s life, questioning how much of our future is shaped by our past. Layered with somber strings and raw acoustic guitar, her voice carries a vulnerable angst as she says, “If we don’t know better / Well, did my parents know better? / No, but they tried.” Over a simple melody, Heynderickx wrestles with the weight of family history and the longing for stability: “I need a silent mind / In a consumer flood / And if I’m lucky / Maybe a glass of wine.” It’s a song that lingers, inviting listeners to reflect on their roots and consider what truly matters in life.
The album isn’t all gentle reflection. There are moments of dynamism woven into its fabric, with Heynderickx’s vocals ranging from hushed uncertainty to lively, animated highs. In “Gemini,” this urgency takes on a restless energy, while in songs like “Swoop,” it’s more understated. “Swoop” lovingly honors the quiet strength of matrilineal connection, where Heynderickx celebrates the bravery of her foremothers over delicate guitar lines. The track feels both intimate and expansive, a heartfelt meditation on family ties and the ways loved ones leave their mark. As Heynderickx questions the state of her own journey — “The mind begins burning to know / what’s beyond today” — she honors the bravery of her ancestors: “Brave was the girl / who had moved from Hong Kong.”
“Sorry Fahey” encourages listeners to consider the often-overlooked facets of life. Heynderickx speaks directly to the listener — and perhaps also to herself — saying “you don’t even notice” before listing things people fail to appreciate: “Your old bed / your old couch / your old black cat, who’s an asshole.” The track balances humor and poignancy, emphasizing the beauty in the mundane. It’s a germane nudge toward mindfulness, inviting listeners to search for significance in the unnoticed and oft-unappreciated parts of life.
With “Seed of a Seed,” Heynderickx has taken everything she did well in her 2018 album “I Need to Start a Garden” and 2016 EP “Fish Eyes” and perfected it. Her folk sound feels fully realized, with the instrumentation and vocals working together to create a cohesive whole. She manages to amplify thoughtful contemplation while grounding it with richly textured melodies, leaving listeners feeling rooted in her world and simultaneously more acutely aware of their own.
Though deeply introspective, the release of “Seed of a Seed” feels like an act of liberation. In her Instagram post announcing the album, Heynderickx wrote, “It’s true, the album is out. It is for you now, not me.” With this album, Heynderickx embraces her growth and invites listeners to do the same, planting seeds of reflection and self-acceptance that will continue to grow long after the last note fades.
In “Seed of a Seed,” Heynderickx has sown a thoughtful and enduring work of art — one that feels like it was made to be listened to in moments of contemplative quiet and to inspire appreciation for life’s wonders, both big and small.
