Vera Van Heeringen – Won’t Be Broken
Wood and Steel Records – 5 September 2019
Once a member of the New Rope String Band, Vera Van Heeringen first branched out into solo work in 2012 with her ‘Standing Tall’ LP. Now upon realising ‘Won’t Be Broken’ she confesses that “far from being the difficult third album, I’ve finally made the album I wanted to make”. Having spent several pleasurable days soaking myself in these songs, I can fully concur with her sense of achievement. It’s an album that worked for me on two levels; firstly that it was simply perfect to have on while driving around in the summer sun but secondly, there was an abundance to uncover when sat at home, lyric sheet spread out in front of me, really going deep into the messages and stories behind the songs.
Opening track ‘Gods’ is in every sense a gently rolling wave with a dark undercurrent. Verse one imagines the protagonist’s partner abusing godly powers with methods of dominance, surveillance and control. Verse two puts the pair together, “if we were gods, you and I” and whilst the “god of war” from verse one continues a destructive pattern of behaviour the “mistress of the sky” is now able to see this abuse for the manipulation that it actually is. Finally, the third verse simply views the dynamic from the narrator’s position as a god, overcoming the mental grip held by the other and finally stopping “you from poisoning my mind”. As a meditation on coercive, controlling behaviour between two people it certainly ensures that ‘Won’t Be Broken’ goes in deep right from the off. Whilst the music is soothing and lush, it also sounds appropriately bruised too. Each line of the verses takes a moment before delivery, as if these words require courage to say out loud; the air allowing the music to breathe also supplies the oxygen to speak these damning testimonies. Almost as if the singer is reluctant to acknowledge them as a visible, out-in-the-open fact.
Constructing a work so nuanced and layered is no small achievement, clearly, Vera Van Heeringen’s third album reveals an artist whose work is maturing like a fine wine; it’s a delight to taste and a pleasure to partake in but it will also make your head spin. So, the album continues into a rather mournful piece misleadingly titled ‘Dancing Shoes’. There’s no swing or swaying found here, rather the memories of some long-gone dancing days and the sense of something lost still being present and visible. Is this listener a tad unsettled again? For sure, but the sounds of hard plucked double bass and lingering electric guitar lines are aural honey as Vera appears to address the bittersweet reaction to a close friend/relative suffering the effects of dementia. To that end, the way the chorus line sings of how “I cry when we’re together and I laugh when I am alone” is deeply moving.
As the album unfolds it’s indisputable that, when writing these songs, Vera had her teeth into the darker sides of the human condition. She understands that a single, definitive perspective can’t be easily found even around the residue of a criminal act. ‘Man With A Gun’ acknowledges that the murderer at the centre of the piece has children who trust his gentle smile and loved ones who desperately believe the laughter they once shared was part of the real man too. But there’s also an irreparably damaged victim, one who can only condemn him as “a stranger who took away my son”. Moving on, the title track seems to bring the first moment of unfiltered resolve with its “won’t be broken” refrain. It’s quite uplifting as a whole, and the prominent Hammond sound lends quite a soulful vibe but once again, all is not as it first appears with Van Heeringen. Who exactly is the damaged troubadour who raged as they sung and left blisters on their tongue? As she sings of one who is “accustomed to the bitterness, indifferent to the sweet” Vera could almost be addressing herself.
The lyric writing on this album is so ripe for interpretation and debate that it’s easy to overlook the other winning element on display, namely the masterful musicianship. On guitar and mandolin Vera is no mere strummer, she has an advanced touch and feel for both instruments that can complement her songs requirements to perfection. As a unit, the Vera Van Heeringen Trio with Dave Luke’s guitars and Andy Seward covering all bass duties make for a tasty collective. Combine that with some other heavy-duty accompanists and the whole is not unlike a Jazz combo (and with a roll call of names like Dave Formula and Keith Angel its easy to imagine this band introduced on stage at a Jazz Café!). Dirk Powell’s blues piano and dovetailing chord changes on ‘Running’ are an absolute revelation. It brings a significant shift in tone on a song that appears to focus on migrants for whom “running is the only way you know”.
That musicianship enjoys its own moment under the spotlight for the instrumental ‘White Tip’. Quite rightly so, it’s always a nice touch when a record so heavily packed with emotion tugging songs steps back offering the listener a moment to reflect. There’s some bright fiddle backing on ‘Dinah’ which yearns for a lady’s acknowledgement but instead suffers in perpetual invisibility. The contact desired here could lead to enlightenment and guidance but Dinah’s out of reach as “the sharp precision of her wit pulls in passers-by”. Next ‘Sleep Song’ is crying out for a break as our singer needs to re-charge her batteries. So, appropriately, it’s the music on this one that keeps the momentum going for one of the records most effortlessly effervescent numbers. ‘Waiting A While’ demonstrates the simple power of the core trio, leaving it to their un-embellished acoustics whilst pondering the importance of moving forward even as you mourn what has passed.
As the collection nears the end its feet slide into some cowboy boots as the fiddles rock gently back and forth on ‘Gather The Words’. Once more though, there’s nothing too gentle about the devastating assault emerging as the lyrics of this song swing into life. Finally, ‘Blankets’ gives the album a last-minute lift, a clever bit of sequencing for it reminds you that despite all Vera’s concerns with the darker sides of life, there’s a survivors spirit at the heart of her work. In fact, with the jumping accordion giving the track a positively Cajun feel, right here at the end we finally locate those dancing shoes as the music fades to silence. The record makes for a strong set so don’t be surprised if your first instinct is to go straight back to the start and play this mature, rich song cycle over and over again.
Won’t Be Broken is out tomorrow (5th Septmeber), pre-order via:
Vera’s online shop: https://veravanheeringen.com/shop
or her Bandcamp page: https://veravanheeringen.bandcamp.com/album/wont-be-broken
For her newsletter, upcoming shows and more visit: https://veravanheeringen.com
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