Amy Gerhartz: First Ascent

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If you're getting tired of me saying what an amazing time this is for Indie-Pop, then: 1) Too bad, because I've just come across another gem in the genre, and I'm getting ready to gush about her in a moment; and 2) Could you try being a little more patient? C'mon, help a brotha out!

The aforementioned gem is Amy Gerhartz, who is currently making everyone in NYC feel stupid for not having heard of her earlier...one gig at a time. Soon, the entire world will feel that way -- at least if I have anything to do with it.

What Amy Gerhartz has done is to release a debut album, The Uphill Climb, which is so accomplished, you'll assume she's a veteran singer/songwriter/hit machine. I can not come up with enough superlatives to describe what a pleasant surprise this album is. From her strong, clear voice to her expertly-crafted songs to the polished arrangements on every track, Amy Gerhartz is poised to go from zero-to-superstar in one album flat.

Of course, there is that whole thing of commercial radio not playing artists like Amy Gerhartz anymore, which could throw a wrench into the deal. The album title could very well be referring to the difficulty most female singer/songwriters have getting airplay. But we're not going to allow a few ignorant radio programmers to stand in our way, are we?!

Amazingly, it wasn't until Ms Gerhartz attended university (Florida State) that she took up songwriting AND guitar. Yet The Uphill Climb skips the whole "Folkie with an acoustic" phase that most novice singer-songwriters go through, and cuts right to a "seasoned band of Pop veterans" sound. Although informed by genres such as AAA, Folk and Country, the album wisely avoids swimming into the deadly deep-end of any of them. It even manages to be spiritual without being -- well, an instant turn-off. (Memo to Country songwriters: Stop telling us how much more God loves you than He does us.) Much of the credit for the artistic success of the album must go to Ms Gerhartz's musical collaborators, Ryan Williams (Producer and multi-instrumentalist) and Jeff Hileman (drums).

So, to recap:

• Great time for Indie Pop, especially with the debut of...
• Amy Gerhartz, whose new album,
• The Uphill Climb, is really fantastic.

(Sorry, my writing doesn't always lend itself to bullet-points.)

For more information about Amy Gerhartz, visit her Myspace page (linked above).