Album Review: Leighton Meester – “Heartstrings”

By: Daniel Gerichter (@ZenDonut) –

On her debut album, Heartstrings, Leighton Meester’s influences range from Stevie Nicks, Tori Amos, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.

Actress Leighton Meester’s debut album, Heartstrings, is upsettingly good. Here’s why.

There’s a good reason why red flags shoot up every time a celeb launches the ‘music phase’ of their career. The last half century is rife with ‘triple threat’ performers including, Eddie Murphy, David Hasselhoff, J-Lo, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and the sparkly, nightmarish parade of Disney tweens.

All of them got their record deals because like everyone else on earth, they wanted to be rock stars. It doesn’t matter if they can sing or write songs. It certainly doesn’t matter what critics think, and if they don’t thoroughly humiliate themselves, ta da! They’ve just created a whole new revenue stream.

But some talent manages to slip through the cracks. Consider Zooey Deschanel (She & Him) or the mighty Tenacious D. Silly or serious, at the very least they’re earnest. And it’s that genuine sincerity that separates Leighton Meester from so many of her celebrity counterparts. Meester already has a few years of experience in the music business, having started out in 2009 with cheeseball dance pop. Now with some perspective, Heartstrings is clearly the album Meester wanted to make, as opposed to another vehicle for keeping her in the spotlight.

Heartstrings is a product of Meester’s in-studio collaboration with World Party’s Jeff Trott, the writer/producer for Stevie Nicks, Jeremy Toback and most nobably, mega hits “If It Makes You Happy” and “Every Day is a Winding Road” by Sheryl Crow. Meester’s work is consistent, focused and pays homage to her numerous influences without ever knocking them off.

And those influences are clear from the start. “Blue Afternoon” blends smoky vocals, atmospheric guitar strums, soft (but pounding) drums and psychedelic organs in a style that elicits Lana Del Rey. Lyrically, Heartstrings isn’t exactly revolutionary, but it is undoubtedly a direct reflection of Meester the person, as opposed to her public persona. The nine songs on the record are about relationships and love lost – things we can all relate to. “You came and you saw that light / I gave in, I came close” she croons.

On the album’s title track (and lead-in single), Meester once again laments a former flame. It’s genuinely emotive but never melodramatic, with vocals that are impressive, but never over-reaching. “I was fighting, for you. Now I’m fine without you” she says, bluntly. Even on its own, the song makes a case for Meester’s maturity as an artist.

Even on “LA”, a more upbeat track, Meester shows a penchant for nuance. Its xylophones and lockstep percussion are downright playful, with a sound that echoes of Joni Mitchell, Brian Wilson, and The Shins.

So why is Heartstrings upsettingly good? Because until this album, it was easy (and probably beneficial) to dismiss any celebrity album out of hand. You would have thought dismantling the solid wall of garbage built by the Lohans and Gomez’s of the world was going to be an impossible feat, but Heartstrings is sincere, imaginative and downright pleasant enough to take the first strike.

Essential Tracks: “LA”, “Blue Afternoon”, “Heartstrings”