Heather Perry and the ___________s / These Appetites
Spade Kitty Records, 2009. myspace.com/heatherperrymusic

Columbia connection: Heather Perry graduated from Columbia in 2006 with a B.A. in theater.

The sound: Rock, indie, atmospheric  
The word: These Appetites is the third release by Chicago-based singer/songwriter Heather Perry, whose two previous releases were solo albums, The Co-Fighter Blues (2005) and Doing It for You (2007). Here she retains her abstract approach to writing music and lyrics as she teams up with vocalist Emily Wiedmeyer, drummer and producer Noah Samuels, and guitarist Ben Brown. Much of the music on this EP relies on sudden shifts in rhythm and Perry’s unique ability to blend melody with two-part harmonies and layered instrumentation. This album’s best track is “Old Friends in New Beds”—a lighthearted song with Perry at her best, calling to mind a young, vulnerable Fiona Apple.

—Brent White ('08)