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**Haley Heynderickx - I Need To Start A Garden**
★★★★☆

The best breakups in music history often yield the most devastating art, and Haley Heynderickx's debut album "I Need To Start A Garden" stands as a testament to this beautiful, painful truth. What began as the dissolution of her previous band Milk Teeth became the fertile ground for one of the most quietly stunning folk records of the late 2010s—a collection of songs so intimate and raw that listening feels like accidentally overhearing someone's diary being read aloud in an empty room.

Heynderickx, a Portland-based singer-songwriter with Filipino and Dutch heritage, had spent years honing her craft in the Pacific Northwest's thriving indie scene before stepping into the spotlight as a solo artist. The transition from band member to singular voice wasn't just a career pivot—it was an emotional excavation. Following Milk Teeth's end, she found herself processing not just the loss of musical partnership, but deeper questions about identity, belonging, and the weight of expectations that seem to crush twenty-somethings like autumn leaves.

The album, released in 2018 on Mama Bird Recording Co., occupies that precious space between bedroom folk and indie rock, where Joni Mitchell might meet Modest Mouse for coffee and end up writing songs about existential dread. Heynderickx's voice—a delicate instrument capable of both whispered vulnerability and soaring power—serves as the album's north star, guiding listeners through landscapes of self-doubt, family dynamics, and the peculiar loneliness of modern life.

"The Bug Collector" opens the record like a thesis statement wrapped in metaphor. Over fingerpicked guitar and subtle strings, Heynderickx weaves together imagery of insects and isolation, creating something that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. It's the kind of song that makes you want to text your ex and delete their number simultaneously. The track showcases her gift for finding profound meaning in seemingly mundane observations—a hallmark that runs throughout the album.

"Oom Sha La La" serves as the record's beating heart, a seven-minute epic that builds from whispered confessions to cathartic release. Here, Heynderickx grapples with her mixed-race identity and family expectations over a hypnotic guitar pattern that gradually welcomes drums, bass, and layered vocals. It's a masterclass in dynamic songwriting that proves she can craft expansive soundscapes without losing the intimate core that makes her music so compelling.

The title track, "I Need To Start A Garden," functions as both literal desire and extended metaphor for growth, nurturing, and the patience required for meaningful change. Heynderickx's lyrics here demonstrate her ability to find poetry in everyday struggles—the song feels like a conversation with yourself at 3 AM when you're simultaneously exhausted and wired, full of plans you're not sure you'll follow through on.

Throughout the album's eight tracks, Heynderickx displays remarkable restraint and maturity as a songwriter. "Untitled God Song" tackles spirituality with the kind of nuanced questioning that avoids both cynicism and blind faith, while "Show You A Body" explores body image and self-acceptance with unflinching honesty. These aren't easy topics, but Heynderickx approaches them with the care of someone who understands that the best songs often emerge from our most uncomfortable truths.

Sonically, the album benefits from production that never overshadows the songs themselves. The arrangements feel organic and lived-in, with subtle touches—a cello line here, backing vocals there—that enhance rather than distract. It's the kind of record that rewards both passive listening and deep dives with headphones.

Since its release, "I Need To Start A Garden" has established Heynderickx as a vital voice in contemporary folk music. The album has garnered critical acclaim and a devoted fanbase drawn to her honest songwriting and captivating live performances. In an era of algorithm-driven music consumption, her work stands as a reminder that sometimes the most powerful songs are the ones that unfold slowly, requiring patience and attention—much like tending an actual garden.

The album's legacy lies not in chart positions or streaming numbers, but in its ability to make listeners feel less alone in their struggles. Heynderickx has created something rare: a debut that announces a fully-formed artistic vision while promising even greater things to come.