Published on Jan 24, 1999
I try to listen to a lot of different kinds of music and there
are some I like and some I just don’t get. But when it really comes
right down to it, I always appreciate artists that can consistently
write songs with strong melodies, thoughtful lyrics, and show
imagination instrumentally. The Beatles were the masters of this
winning combination, but it is sometimes hard to find artists that
can provide all this without sounding deriative or retro.
Nick Heyward is one artist who has managed to pull off this feat
with his latest release,
The Apple Bed. If you were listening to pop/new wave music
of the early 80’s, you may remember his group, Haircut 100. Well,
Heyward’s songwriting has matured in much the same way as Andy
Partridge of XTC. In fact, much of
The Apple Bed comes off sounding like a combination of late
period XTC and middle period Beatles. While Heyward is obviously
influenced by both of these groups, he has his own voice and makes
this classic type of songwriting sound fresh again.
Take the opening song, “Stars In Her Eyes”, which sounds like a
straight rock version of the Beatles “She’s Leaving Home” while
still preserving the melancholy but hopefulness of a young girl
starting a new chapter of her life. Or the next song, “In Every
Place” which has the wistfulneness of Paul McCartney’s best
ballads, but with lyrics that show Heyward’s own interpretation on
the feeling of lost love. The lovely combination of jangly guitar,
strings and piano recall the 80’s band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the
Dark.
The XTC influences pop up on songs like “My Heavy Hand”, “Just
Like Sorrow”, and “The Goodbye Man”. All of these songs take a
seriocomic look at lost love, making wry observations about failed
relationships that mask a sense of regret by the singer. However,
Heyward also writes straight ballads with melodies that just soar.
“I Really Don’t Know You” is affecting, but the one I like the best
is “The Man You Used To Be”, a stunning song about how the media
builds up stars only to tear them down.
Heyward also produced
The Apple Bed and effectively uses strings, horns, piano,
acoustic and electric guitars to color his songs. He does include
some straight rockers as well. “Today” and “Dear Miss Finland” has
Heyward turning up the volume of his electric guitar while still
retaining the melodicism and wittiness of his songwriting.
My one pet peeve on
The Apple Bed is the appearance of three uncredited songs.
Oh, I like the songs a lot, but I do not understand the purpose of
hidden songs? I had to find their titles on the Internet. The first
two, “3 Colours” and “Brightest Pearl”, are the loosest rockers on
the album and should have appeared earlier. The last song,
“Beautiful Place”, is a slightly Celtic sounding ballad that is a
wonderful way to end to the album.
What is most amazing about
The Apple Bed is that there is not one dud among Heyward’s
fifteen original songs. Some artists have trouble coming up with
ten good songs. If you enjoy the classic pop rock of The Beatles,
XTC, or were a fan of Haircut 100,
The Apple Bed is a must have album.