Beihl and Hedman - "Disregarding Popularity"

Album review by Chris Meck

Beihl and Hedman’s “Disregarding Popularity” is a sixteen song ode to the bitter break-up. In less capable hands, sixteen songs about your ex-signifigant other might have you reaching for sharp objects, but this folk-pop duo from Manhattan, Kansas sugarcoat the misery with gorgeous, spot-on harmonies and excellent musicianship. While some of the more uptempo tunes may have you thinking of the Indigo Girls-and surely that influence is at work here at times, Beihl and Hedman display an instrumental prowess matched by few in this genre. The coda in the opening piece, “Emilie”, for example is an excellent showcase for singer/songwriter/guitarist Pam Biehl and serves notice these are not your typical three chord folkies.

The lone pre-break-up comment comes from “You Came Along”, a giddy look at the first days of new love-however, the heartache of “Tender Confessions” follows to remind the listener of how quickly new love can fade.

Guitarist Pam Biehl’s songwriting focuses on poetic lyrical flourishes and an unforgiving sense of observation. These are the words you wished you could write every time a relationship went bad, with perhaps only the lengthy “King of Moro Avene” feeling a little overwrought.

Bree Hedman’s piano style has a definite classical touch, focusing on structure and harmony but never gets too busy or cluttered. In addition to piano, Hedman also contributes harmony vocals, gong (!?) and co-wrote “Off the Wall”, a bitter love letter about unrequited love for a social butterfly from the wrong side of the tracks.

Unlike most of their contemporaries, Beihl and Hedman often stray from formulaic arrangements. This decision proves to be a wise one, as a record of this length with similar subject matter and instrumentation could be tiresome in the hands of artists less willing to challenge themselves and their listeners. If you’re in the mood for a little Lilith-approved melancholy, you’ll find this record hits the spot.

--Chris Meck
chrismeck@thezone.org