Heidi Vincent Drops A New Song And Showcases Her Storytelling Chops
New single release from Heidi Vincent takes a Country turn and comes through as a bit of an instant classic, as the track breeds Honky-Tonk undertone, lush instrumentation, and lyrics that tend to be a staple for the genre.
"Mean Jolene" is a wonderfully warm track, especially in terms of the tones coming from those instruments. The guitars have a perfect twang to them, and the rhythm of the track has a classic sort of Swing.
One of the things I love most about this particular song is that Heidi is actually blending this amazing pop undertone in with the classic country, so you have a blending of both worlds.
She's got a great voice, and it's got a bit of swagger to it, but it's very light-hearted.
She's got hints of Americana in her vocal, but it leans more towards pop; meanwhile, there's a bopping rhythm underneath that swing that sounds like it's coming from a keyboard, but between the vocals and that bopping keyboard, the pop sensibility is loud and clear.
The way this song is written, arranged, and built with all this great southern-toned instrumentation leans it towards the country side of things.
This is such a great combination, but I feel like it's just done naturally. Heidi just puts this together and performs it with such a smooth approach that it feels like the blend of the pop in the country is completely seamless, and the song has once again that classic, almost vintage country lyrical approach.
"Mean Jolene" is about someone who stole her person. We all know that someone. The one out there that likes to steal people's girlfriends and boyfriends, and this song is dedicated to that someone.
She doesn't hold back much in terms of laying out the lyrics exactly how she wants to, so that you can follow along, and you get her perspective from things.
She's watching someone that maybe used to be hers run out the door to old mean Jolene, arms wide open (so to speak), and although she's dealt with it before, old Jolene doesn't seem to want to stop.
I love that classic lyrical approach.
She even gets into more detail about Jolene's personality as the song unfolds, helping you paint a better picture.
This sounds like a track that you've heard before. It's got such a familiar and inviting aesthetic.
The fun part is, by the end of the song, she realizes she doesn't want him, and Jolene can just have him anyway.
So, you get the full story from beginning to end. The frustration of the woman taking your man, and then by the end, the realization that she actually did her a favor. She didn't want him anyway. He wasn't worth it.
It's almost like reading a short story or watching a scene of a film.
I love songs that give you that much depth. Heidi is definitely very into storytelling with her music, but it's so well done that it doesn't feel forced. It all just comes naturally, and the track, because of that pop sensibility, is very catchy.
This chorus sticks in your brain for hours or even days after the song has ended.
Now, if you haven't listened to too much of Heidi Vincent's music as of yet, this is a great introduction. Not older than music sounds like this. She is inspired by different things and definitely branches off and outward into whatever genre she feels like she wants to dabble in at the time.
It always works, though.
"Criminal" is another outstanding track that showcases how she goes into a different style and genre.
No matter what the style, she always has something authentic to say.
Take a listen and hear what I mean.
