Hemlocke Springs The Apple Tree Under The Sea Album Review
Does This Debut Solidify Hemlocke Springs’ Artistic Identity?
In an era where many artists emerge from TikTok virality, it is easy to dismiss them as algorithm-made and short-lived. Addison Rae is one of the more visible examples of that pipeline. North California singer, songwriter, and producer Isimene “Naomi” Udu, known professionally as Hemlocke Springs, followed a similar entry point. Her self-produced breakout “Girlfriend” flipped the internet on its head with its wiry synths and theatrical vocal delivery. The 2021 single “gimme all UR luv” quickly became a bedroom pop staple on SoundCloud.
Those early releases positioned her as a quirky underdog, but more importantly, they established her core artistic DNA: elastic vocals, off-kilter melodies, and a maximalist instinct inside a lo-fi framework.
Her 2023 EP going…going..GONE1 sharpened that identity. It was the moment critics began taking her seriously. The project leaned fully into 80s-tinged synth pop while preserving her bedroom-pop intimacy. It was eccentric but intentional. Chaotic but composed. That EP felt like a thesis statement.
Now in 2026, Hemlocke Springs returns with the apple tree under the sea, a debut that expands her sonic palette without abandoning the traits that made her distinct.
From the opening moments, the album is frantic yet cohesive. The production is dense and textured, built around punchy 80s-style synthesizers, distorted low-end pulses, and sharp percussive programming. The mixes feel crunchy in a deliberate way. Nothing is sterile. Everything feels alive.
Her vocals remain the centerpiece. Naomi does not simply sing. She performs. She yelps, stretches syllables into elastic shapes, jumps octaves mid-phrase, and then retreats into hushed muttering. There is a theatrical quality to her phrasing that borders on animated voice acting, yet it never feels gimmicky. It feels embodied. She understands how to turn melody into character.
Many TikTok-adjacent artists struggle to move beyond 15-second hooks. Hemlocke Springs does the opposite. She builds full-bodied compositions with clear arcs, pre-choruses that actually escalate tension, and bridges that recontextualize earlier motifs rather than just fill space.
Lyrically, the album navigates digital-age loneliness, obsessive romantic longing, and emotional ambiguity within modern relationships. What stands out technically is her internal rhyme schemes and rhythmic lyric placement. She often packs dense syllabic patterns into tight melodic pockets without sacrificing clarity. Her writing balances wit and vulnerability. Lines about distance and yearning feel specific rather than generic, which elevates the emotional weight.
That said, the album’s relentless energy can be overwhelming. The high-intensity synth layering rarely gives the listener extended breathing room. A few more stripped-back arrangements could have created stronger dynamic contrast and amplified the impact of the louder moments. The maximalism is thrilling, but it occasionally sacrifices subtlety.
Still, there are undeniable highlights.
“sever the blight” and “the beginning of the end” function as the emotional and structural anchors of the record. On “sever the blight,” she captures the agony of loving someone who remains perpetually out of reach. The melodic progression mirrors that frustration, circling back on itself before bursting into a cathartic hook. “the beginning of the end” escalates into towering walls of synth, transforming introspection into full emotional collapse. It is one of her strongest storytelling moments to date.
“the red apple” opens the album with ominous tension, immediately establishing the project’s heightened atmosphere. “moses” channels her signature manic charisma into a tightly structured pop framework, proving she can harness chaos without losing compositional control.
Tracks like “w-w-w-w-w” showcase her rhythmic experimentation, using stuttered vocal phrasing as both lyrical device and percussive texture. Meanwhile, “head, shoulders, knees, and ankles” balances playful absurdity with anxious undertones, reinforcing how central tonal duality is to her artistry.
Not every track reaches the same creative peak. The remaining songs are polished and well-constructed, but they do not always hit with the same daring unpredictability as the standouts. Even so, there is no true filler here. Each song reinforces her aesthetic world.
What impresses me most is her technical growth as a songwriter. Her chord progressions are more adventurous than standard bedroom pop templates. She plays with tension and release intentionally. Hooks feel earned. Bridges feel purposeful. The album demonstrates a deepening understanding of structure, pacing, and emotional payoff.
the apple tree under the sea rejects the current trend of minimalist, hyper-clean pop in favor of something louder, messier, and more human. Hemlocke Springs avoids the one-hit-wonder trap not by smoothing out her eccentricities, but by amplifying them with discipline.
This is not just a collection of songs. It feels like an entry into a vividly constructed inner world.
Her songwriting is sharp. Her production choices are immersive and deliberate. Her vocals are unpredictable but controlled. Most importantly, this album solidifies her artistic identity rather than chasing trends.
It is ambitious, occasionally overwhelming, but undeniably compelling.
Already, it stands as one of my favorite releases of the year.
Rating: 9/10