Herrick’s “Cottonfields” Delivers with Emotional Songs
The Washington-based band Herrick has been on my radar for a while now. They have been touring now for probably close to two decades. I was very impressed with their 2012 CD “New Dance,” which contained great songs such as “Cry Memphis” and “Walk A Mile.” Even then, the band’s live performances were very impressive.
One thing that makes Herrick stand apart from other bands is the powerhouse vocals of Donna Herrick. She is more than simply a great singer. Donna’s voice is one that demands that you listen. I’m certainly not the only one to think Donna’s voice was special. Chuck Daupin, a writer for Billboard and Music News Nashville, has called Donna “the next great voice of our generation.”
I was excited when I learned that Herrick would release a new CD this April. After listening to the tracks from the new project, I realized that Donna’s voice has gotten even better over the last few years. She could probably sing the phone book and make it interesting, but that’s not the only thing that makes it unique. Donna has the uncanny ability to breathe emotion into a song and make the listener feel something. It’s that moment when the lyrics of a song become more than just words.
In addition to Donna, Herrick is made up of Donna’s husband Kerry, Jeff Bradshaw and Jefferson Rogers. While most people that review Herrick’s music (including myself) often rave about Donna’s vocal abilities, every member of this band play an important role in the band’s sound. The harmonies on “Cottonfields” are wonderful. In addition, the instrumentation and arrangement of the songs is superb. The music helps bring the words to life and it goes a long way help develop the tone of the entire CD.
Fans should be advised that they won’t find a lot of slow songs on “Cottonfields.” The slowest song on the CD is probably the final track, “Together.” For people who have followed Herrick since “New Dance,” this won’t be surprising. Their band of music is positive and upbeat.
The first track on “Cottonfields” is a song that will probably sound a bit familiar. The title track is a cover of a Credence Clearwater Revival song. I think it was an excellent song selection. First of all, it does a good job at setting the tone of the album. If you aren’t a fan of their take on the song, you aren’t likely to like the other 10 tracks on the album. However, if you are like me and think the song is awesome, the tracks that follow aren’t likely to disappoint. Secondly, the song does a good job at showcasing their harmonies.
Except for the title track, all of the other songs were written by members of Herrick. Three songs on the album are a songwriting collaboration of all four Herrick members.
There are also three songs on the album that have been around for a while, having been written and published prior to the recording of the “New Dance” CD. I’m glad these songs were finally recorded. One of these songs, “Your Love,” is a beautifully-crafted love song.
The members of Herrick started writing the new songs on “Cottonfields” in 2014. The songs on this album are very strong and it shows growth in the band’s songwriting abilities. I really like the band’s approach to writing love songs. They resisted the temptation to make love song slow songs and the temptation to fill the songs with clichés that seem to appear in many love songs. These songs are heartfelt and emotional.
One of the standout love songs on the CD is “Life In A Song,” which features the lines “I am yours to hold/Every breath of mine is yours.”
Another stand out track on the CD is a uptempo song that explores the other side of love. In “Like A Disease,” Donna sings, “You keep pushin’ me away, pullin’ us apart, breaking my heart in two.” This song is a perfect example of the great music on this CD.
Throughout this collection of songs, Herrick keeps their sound fresh and original. However, it sounds like they may have been influenced by some of music’s greatest bands, from The Beatles to Fleetwood Mac.
“Cottonfields” will be released on April 15. More information can be found about the band and the new CD on their website, www.herricklive.com.