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Ink 19 CD Review

Heidi Petrikat is a prime example of the sparkling talent bubbling beneath the indie scene. Actually, to label Petrikat as "indie" would be misleading. Her highly melodic and emotional pop/rock songs are a cut above the amateur hours that characterize much of today's American underground.

Petrikat writes catchy, literate and addictive songs. You can compare her to other females in the singer/songwriter genre -- Natalie Merchant and even Jewel come to mind -- but she writes from her own experiences. "Away With You" and "Dimensions" are both instantly likeable, engaging the ears with wind-swept vocals. Petrikat has a real singer's voice; it hits the right notes yet it doesn't sound stiff. You can sense the emotion in her vocals, the passion she puts in her words. It's the antithesis of the indie movement, which is to remain at a distance. That's not Petrikat. Even when her lyrics are subject to interpretation, as on the title track, her feelings pour through.

If Petrikat at times sounds like a wounded young girl, there's never a sense that she is giving in to her sadness; the songs are pretty upbeat in the same way the best work of The Cranberries, Madder Rose, and The Sundays are -- folksy pop with a tinge of melancholy. It's all quite pretty and very moving at times.

Kyrby Raine of:
"www.ink19.com"
February 2007

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Whisperin & Hollerin CD review
Our Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Singer/songwriter Heidi Petrikat is blessed with a young girl's voice.

No, don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that she sounds like Britney Spears or anything horrifying like that. I'm talking about the innocence conveyed, whether purposefully or not, in Petrikat's vocals. Juliana Hatfield had that quality as well. It's a gift, really, one ensuring that she will never age with her music.

The sweetness of Petrikat's voice makes her songs immediately charming, even when her words are spiked with bitterness, as on "Away With You." With its jangly riffs and dreamy vocals, "Away With You" could almost be mistaken for a Cranberries tune but Petrikat is more subtle in her approach. She's not "in your face"; instead, it's more like she's whispering in your ear. It's too bad that Petrikat didn't include a lyric sheet with her CD because her words are certainly worthy of being eyeballed.

The glut of female singer/songwriters since the dawn of Jewel has been staggering, even worse than the army of John Mayer clones. However, Petrikat easily pulls away from her competition. Her lovely vocals on "Universal Mind" radiate a springtime glow, and "Dimensions" offers soothing harmonies. Her fragile delivery on "Bright Lights Fade," the best track on this LP, will melt your heart.

Adam Harrington of:
"Whisperin & Hollerin CD Reviews"
December 2006