Heartforward

Background and composition

Heartforward was based on a series of experiences from Ochs' foreign trip to Nepal. She embarked on a three-month trip to the nation to volunteer with her now ex-boyfriend. The album's title was derived from a Nepalese religious theme called the seven chakras. The fourth "chakra" was the heart, where she ultimately developed the term "heartforward". Ochs detailed her reasoning in a 2010 interview: "It’s about putting yourself out there, not just in a romantic sense, but in a life-sense."

Heartforward saw Ochs experimenting with different types of pop music such as folk pop and contemporary pop. The album's tracks focused on themes associated with "exploring relationships" and "lessons learned". Its lyrics were also influenced from Ochs' visits to various international settings. Musically, the album draws inspiration from the indie groups including The Weepies. Amber Schadewald of the San Francisco Bay Guardian found that Heartforward also has a "country tone" that seems to be "like that of her other favorite artist, Patsy Cline."

Critical reception

Online music store CD Baby gave Heartforward a positive review, calling Ochs a "bombshell". The website also commented on the album's lyrics and her vocals: "Titled after a philosophy she hopes to live by, "Heartforward" is layered with her breathtaking vocals and powerful lyrics as she takes you from solo acoustic to full rock band and back." Furthermore, CD Baby compared the album's musical style to that of Fiona Apple, Natalie Merchant, and Norah Jones. For the Country Record spoke of the album when reviewing her 2015 country single, "My Mistake". The site commented, "I find Cam particularly fascinating because she did not start in country, and yet to all intents and purposes her official launch is there. Her album ‘Heartforward’ was pop, albeit a rootsy kind of alt.pop, and it appears that she only considered going country after A&R folks expressed interest in her writing (although, I can only speak from what I know at this point)."

Amber Schadewald of the San Francisco Bay Guardian gave Heartforward positive reception as well. Schadewald highlighted the album's guitar strumming, calling the sound "bright". She further discussed Ochs' musical persona and it how it affects the album: "There’s an audible optimistic bliss in her music and an honest indication that the woman behind the strings is a solid, well-rounded being."

Track listing

Credits extracted from liner notes at Allmusic. Secondly, all tracks are composed by Camaron Ochs unless noted.

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from liner notes at Allmusic.