Heather Maloney: No Shortcuts (Live at the Academy)

During the past two-plus years there haven’t been a lot of live concert recordings released due to the death of in-person performances, but singer-songwriter Heather Maloney has bucked the trend by releasing No Shortcuts, recorded in 2019 in Northampton, MA. The 16 tracks include 15 originals songs and a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock.” The album opens with “Enigma,” which serves as an introductory self-portrait into Maloney’s musical world. She isn’t a “political” songwriter per se, but her personally oriented subject matter often focuses on interior politics. For this record Maloney was joined by Ryan Hommel, who served as producer and musical director, created string arrangements, played guitar, and added backing vocals. Other musicians include Reed Sutherland on upright bass and vocals, Celaya Kirchner on violin and vocals, and Cynthia Tolson, Kasey Calebaugh, and Emma Hays Johnson in a string trio. Maloney’s version of “Woodstock” not only showcases Maloney’s impressive vocal range and musical dynamics. It also demonstrates how well the recording preserves both the location of her voice’s primary emanation point combined with the hall’s reverberance from the PA system as it adds an enveloping bloom and shimmer to the expansive soundstage.