TRACKLIST
Won't Let The Dust Settle
Tennessee By Now
May Flowers
She & Her Cat
Easy Girl
Silent Motions
Heavenly
Good For My Heart
Parachute
Good People Cry
Haddie Bell is a 22-year-old independent singer/songwriter and poet from Ontario, Canada. Her diverse and unique sound spans from acoustic folk all the way to alternative and commercial pop. She's inspired by iconic artists like Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Alanis Morrissette and takes pride in sharing her personal thoughts and experiences through songwriting. Haddie has been making music for years, sharing her raw recordings on YouTube and Soundcloud before officially debuting her career this year with her first single, "Heavenly". Within this same year, Haddie released "May Flowers" as her second single and now, her debut album "Silent Motions" which features both singles. This entirely self-written album touches on many different subjects within Haddie's personal life like love, heartbreak, finding herself, family, her relationship with death and even her deep love for cats. Lets start deep diving into each track.
Won't Let The Dust Settle
Have you ever gotten advice from someone after having something crazy or bad happened to you, and they told you to "let the dust settle"? This saying refers to letting the situation go until things start to calm down so that you can face it clear headed. Let the emotions and negative energy fade before doing something you might regret. Depending on what the situation is, sometimes it's not the best idea for you to keep to yourself and not say what you want to say. Sometimes you have to hit things head-on and get them over with, rather that drag them out for the sake of others. "Won't Let The Dust Settle" is an alt. pop bop about not taking anybody's crap and just doing what you think is best for yourself. It's a groovy, danceable track and a great energetic introduction to this album. The production is a bit reminiscent of Daft Punk, but with Haddie's soft and delicate vocal style.
Tennessee By Now
A big style shift and a change of pace from the first track is "Tennessee By Now", a sad and relatable tune that has hints of folk and country. Anyone who has struggled with mental health can connect with the painful lyrics within this song. It's about that feeling of being stuck somewhere, physically and mentally, and feeling like you'll never be able to get out of it. You feel so broken down that you're afraid of being past the point of no return; a heart beyond repair. It's especially hard to cope when you've lost the one person who could make you smile, and now you're left to fend for yourself. The worst part is having to pretend that you're okay when you're not. Haddie's breaking vocals really set the emotion in stone for this song as they glide across beautiful mixtures of guitar, piano and percussion, giving the song a really classic Americana feel.
May Flowers
"May Flowers" is a playful-pop tune with hints of 50's tones and barbershop music, reminiscent of Megan Trainor. Acting as the second official single off of the album, this song is a message for all the men out there who still have misogynic tendencies. Although the music itself seems to have a care-free attitude, the lyrics call out those who care more about their body count than the feelings of the women they are hurting. You can hear a bit of sarcasm and sassiness behind Haddie's voice in this song, which keeps the mood light overtop of the serious topic that unfortunately, a lot of women have had to experience within their dating life. If you need an anthem to scream at the top of your lungs to like you're yelling at a crappy ex, this is the song for you!
She & Her Cat
One thing you must know about Haddie Bell is that she is a major animal lover! Haddie has quite a few fur (and feather) babies but just one of her special friends is a black cat named Bunneth, who is featured in the cover of the album! She gained inspiration from being a cat mom and wrote a song about wanting to run away and wander the streets alone, with just she & her cat. The soundscape of this song is sonically very Lana Del Rey coded with it's heavily lo-fi and distorted production on the vocals. The instrumentation is light but has a very ear-catching groove, my favorite being the acoustic guitar. It's a unique and beautifully done song.
Easy Girl
"Easy Girl" has a classically dreamy soundscape, and so far one of my personal favorite tracks on this album! It sonically reminds me of "Beauty School Drop-Out" from the iconic musical, Grease. Starting in the first verse, "Easy Girl" narrates a story of a girl who has a pretty relaxed life compared to others. She's beautiful to societies standards, she's stress free, never worries and she's genuinely happy and content with her life. When we move on to verse two, we hear Haddie singing about how she's the complete opposite of this "Easy Girl", and how she wishes to be like her. I know there are many of us girls out there who have felt this exact same way; not necessarily jealous or full of envy, but a deep wondering about what we did to deserve the struggles we go through; longing and wishing for a more simple, easy-going life.
Silent Motions
"Silent Motions", the title track for this album, is a sad-girl alt. pop song about the struggles of letting go of someone you once loved. It feels very Midnights by Taylor Swift, both in it's soundscape and within it's meaning in the sense of it being about a person in the past who still haunts your memories and dreams. It's groove is simple but still captures you in a way that helps direct your attention to the focus point in this song - the story and the lyrics. My personal favorite part of this particular song is the hook with it's layered, synthesized vocals and harmonies. It gives it the perfect little extra something to make it a stand out track on the album.
Heavenly
**TRIGGER WARNING - ED**
Acting as the leading single for Haddie's album, "Heavenly" sounds exactly as it's titled. Released earlier this year, this was the first song I heard from Haddie and I fell in love on the first listen. The harmonies are the most beautifully written vocals I've heard this year, and are in fact very angelic in nature. Probably the most emotional song on the album, "Heavenly" was written about a cousin Haddie had grown up with who had been battling an eating-disorder. Haddie wrote "Heavenly" for her cousin, begging her to not give up on recovery and to fight for a better, healthier life. It's a very sad, yet encouraging song that is almost too sonically beautiful for this world. It's also Haddie's first music video, which was self-directed and you can watch it below!
If you or anyone you know suffers from an ED, you can find resources for help here:
Good For My Heart
"Good For My Heart" is a sweet little love song about finding someone who is the perfect fit for you. They're everything you've ever wanted and they're the opposite of all the bad and toxic relationships you've experienced before. You're able to grow together and make things work for the better; a healthy relationship is quite literally good for the heart. Haddie sings with full passion and emotion in "Good For My Heart", written from her own experiences with her current relationship. This song is soft and beautiful in a way that can put you in a daydream. The lyrics may just remind you of your own special someone. The acoustic guitar, strings and gorgeous harmonies were the only things needed to become the perfect love song.
Parachute
"Parachute" is a pop bop with a modern production and rhythm; another Midnights and 1989 (Taylor Swift) kind of style. This song already got stuck in my head right after my first listen. "Parachute" is the perfect song to follow up after "Good For My Heart" because it's about that moment you realize your current partner is different from all the others. Some of your past experiences may have left you with some trust issues, so you just assume that any relationship you start is going to end in disaster - until you find someone who changes your mind. Haddie sings of a person who is better than an angel, and has saved her from a (metaphorical) deadly fall, like a parachute.
Good People Cry
The tenth and final track of Haddie's debut album is "Good People Cry". Going back to that "Tennessee By Now" and Western style, this song has a soft country / folk feel to it's instrumentation. It's a reminder that doing what is right for you in the moment doesn't make you weak. It's okay to be emotional and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If you're not feeling like something or someone is right, you have to do what's best for your own well-being, even if that means going against others wishes. It's a really strong and emotional track to close out "Silent Motions".
Haddie Bell's "Silent Motions" album is a collection of diverse and unique sounds. There isn't any one particular genre that the album stays in, which makes it a project that anyone can listen to regardless of their personal tastes. There are some songs where Haddie's influences like Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, and Alanis Morsette shine through but it's done in a way where it's still uniquely her own. Haddie's songwriting and storytelling are the stars of the show in this album. The poetic, but relatable lyrics give the songs a raw and personal emotion that many look for within their music tastes. Haddie has been waiting a long time to finally share these tracks with the world, and if you'd like to show her some support you can click the link below to stream her album and scroll just a bit further to follow her on all of her social media pages!
Written By Kaitlyn Nicole
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