hemlocke springs - the apple tree under the sea (2026)

https://hemlockesprings.bandcamp.com/album/the-apple-tree-under-the-sea

Am somewhat taken by this debut album, a mélange of...hmmm, Santigold, Chappell Roan, Doja Cat, Spellling, maybe even Sudan Archives sometimes if you squint, but then if you drill down to it song to song, there are even more reference points to behold - "moses" for example at one point reminds me so much of Abra's debut, while "the beginning of the end" to me has a distinct Paramore flavour.

The best entry point is possibly "w-w-w-w-w", which has big 80s spooky-ooky verses before swivelling exquisitely into a rip of "Bette Davis Eyes" on the chorus. I find that across the album just when it seems like something might be teetering too far into garishness she throws another idea at the wall which endears me to it again. There's an unapologetic, uncompromising quality to the songwriting which I'm enjoying too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDA2qMV2KmA

yeah this album rules

"w-w-w-w-w" is delightfully unhinged

listened to this in the car so i need to listen again but this struck me as a series of highs and lows with incredibly high highs (especially “w-w-w-w-w”)

ok i have figured it out: i hate the first song, don’t love the second and third songs (they are too…disney adult for me), but think the rest of the album is on a different level. “set me free,” “sense is,” “moses,” the w song, and “sever the blight” are all great

Closing track is a Big Closer that fully earns its length and bigness imo

It's good stuff.

the closing track is amazing, yeah. and yes I agree with voodoo that the first couple of tracks are quite theatrical in a way that I would usually find unappealing, but the more I listen to the album the less bothered I am by them

i didn't hate the first song but had the same reaction as voodoo chili to the second & third lol