CD Review: Heather Stewart's 'What It Is'

Heather Stewart
What It Is
Self-Release

A California-native, Heather Stewart, amazes listeners with gentle crooning and pensive guitar work on her latest release, What It Is. The opening title track, What It Is, represents a gentle romp into light pop and rock fanfare with a touch of folk and alt-country. "Stand Up" is a quaint folk and pop anthem with glorious vocals and sparkling guitar sounds with upbeat percussion. "I Lied" is a quiet and sauntering guitar tune with laidback vocals and apologetic lyrics tied to minimal instrumentation. The vocals are somewhat reminiscent of Adele's more contemplative and emotional works. "We'll Learn" is an open road ode with vocals somewhere between Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, and Lucinda Williams. The uppity percussion and guitars are somewhere between pop, country, and alternative with crystal clear vocals throughout. "A Little More" is a groovy alt-folk and pop song with glistening guitar chords not too unlike that of Nina Gordon. All eleven tracks are catchy and diverse. If you are into great music with a spaciousness and deliciousness rarely seen in contemporary music, then you will love Heather Stewart's sophomore release. ~ Matthew Forss