Music
20 Mar 01

Pomegranate - An Anthology

Long before UK folk-based artists such as Beth Orton and Eliza Carthy came to prominence Heidi Berry reigned as the lone voice of British indie folk - a strange accolade given that she was born in Boston.

In truth, she was closer artistically and stylistically to '70s stalwarts like Sandy Denny, Nick Drake, Tim Buckley and even Joni Mitchell. She refined her approach however to embrace the indie set and was one of Creation's earliest singings, also working along the way with This Mortal Coil.

This comprehensive collection covers material from her 1987 mini-album Firefly right up to 1999's Needle's Eye. As melancholic, pastoral, acoustic music goes it's a tour-de-force of the possibilities of traditionally based songs. Highlights include the dreamy, wistful 'Time', Bob Mould's (Husker Du) tender 'Up In The Air' and 'Only Human'. If at times it veers towards new agey blandness as on over-arranged songs like 'Mercury' and 'Follow' this is more than made up for with the exquisite understated approach Berry adopts on 'Northern Country' and 'The Moon & The Sun'. Also included on this enhanced CD is a video for 'Up In The Air'

An acquired taste perhaps, but well worth acquiring.