Le Jardin De Heavenly was the second album by Heavenly and was released originally on Sarah Records in the UK and K Records in the USA, this re-issue adds 4 bonus songs taken from two singles one of which was only available in the USA originally.
The album opens with Starshy a lush jangle pop song about being too shy shy to talk to your idols, while the guitars do all sorts of magical things before a carefully played piano adds more texture.
Tool isn't about the band Tool, more about the sort of person who can't say what a particular Tool is used for, but think it looks cool so they want to use it anyway. With insistent jangling guitars and super sweet vocals, this has some great starts and stops.
Orange Corduroy Dress sounds like a fashion mistake of gargantuan proportions, but somehow Amelia makes wearing said dress sound like the chicest thing you could do. We shouldn't think of the girl in that dress as a loser but as fashion forward.
Different Day feels all sun dappled and full of charm until the lyrics slowly start to sink in, as you realize things aren't as glorious as the music makes them seem.
C Is The Heavenly Option is the heavenly fashion school telling you exactly what is and isn't cool to wear, making sure the bloke wears exactly what his girlfriend tells him too, while trying not to end up broken hearted, this is a duet with Calvin Johnson that eventually has some rapping by Amelia that's oddly effective.
Smile really comes to life for me when it breaks down to almost nothing but Amelia's crystal-clear vocals and Mathews drums come back in all insistent to make sure you are smiling at the end of the song.
And The Birds Aren't Singing opens like a 60's ballad but with slow guitars and percussion it has a delicate feel as we wonder why the Birds Aren't Singing Anymore almost like an anti-football chant or a reminiscence about the film its named after.
Sort Of Mine is super urgent indie pop magic as we find out how and why they are Sort Of Mine and sort of not.
The first bonus track is the A-side of the bands third single So Little Deserve a song of sad regret, for the painfully shy who can't believe they deserve to go out with someone as cool as you. This is winsome, full of yearning with the hope of good times to come.
The B-side of this single was I'm Not Scared Of You a song that has a core message that you should never be scared of your boy or girlfriend, if you are you should find a different one. This gets its message across from within the superb meshing guitars and flying at you drumming that gives way to the quiet more reflective passages.
The US only single She Says is more thoughtful as we find out exactly what's on her mind as the clattering guitars give way to gentle backing vocals, as they yet again show they had the loud quiet grunge blueprint down pat, without ever sounding at all grunge, with a great sing along chorus as this soars and soars to its conclusion.
The b-side of that single Escort Crash On Marston Street is an urgent sounding tune that describes a car driver losing control and smashing into the railings as it all goes horribly wrong for that Ford Escort driver who suffers from brain damage as a result of the crash, all wrapped up in super sweet sounding melodies.
