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With Tori Amos recently releasing her sprawling, near-80-minute, fully immersive concept album ‘In Times of Dragons’, fans of dark, emotionally heavy melancholic music have been spoiled of late. On a less grandiose scale (but just as immersive), British multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter A. A. Williams has been quietly releasing some of her best work to date in the form of a handful of singles lifted from her forthcoming third studio album – ‘Solstice’, released June 5th via Reigning Phoenix Music.
A fantastic album title to mess with people’s heads because most would associate solstice with the longest day of the year (summer solstice) and all the sunshine and happiness that might bring. But then there is the flip side to solstice: the shortest day of the year (winter solstice), which brings the fewest hours of daylight and marks the start of winter (an unsarcastic yay by way of big love to winter). And it’s that ironic juxtaposition that seems to fuel ‘Solstice’.
Opening track, ‘Poison’, for instance; with a title like that, it’s got to be dark and brooding, yes? Well, to an extent, yes; but there is also a dreamy, hopeful feel to it, thanks to the warm, beguiling vocals from Williams. Meshed with simple strikes of the piano, and a thick, infectious chugging guitar riff that runs through the track, it is a stunning opener, not least for the imperious display from the always-reliable Wayne Proctor on drums. Those vocals, though: goosebump-inducing (and in a good way).
‘Wolves’ is an early highlight amongst the 11 tracks to be found on the album. Had Trent Reznor cooked it up for a movie soundtrack, then it would be another Oscar for him. Honestly, this one almost wore out the repeat button here at DGM Towers. Such a lush, siren-like few minutes with utterly gorgeous cinematic arrangements exploding to life everywhere you look (likewise on the hypnotic ‘Hold It Together’ which for the majority of six minutes is vocal-free and out Mogwai’s Mogwai). Lyrics full of despair: “I would let you down/All over again/So leave me to the Wolves my love” – get this one licensed to Netflix for Wednesday Season 3, especially since the magnetic Eva Green is confirmed as joining.
‘Little by Little’ follows on, and showcases that juxtaposition touched upon earlier. The opening few minutes are simplistic, as well as being quite light (sweeping in a Bond soundtrack way around two minutes in), and in most artists’ hands the track would stay that way, but halfway through it pulls the rug out from under the listener, with an explosion of sound that might just have those listening to the album while wearing a decent pair of cans reaching for the volume control.
For a few minutes, the intoxicating ‘Outlines’ hints at salvation from the despairing darkness, and suggests it will go down a different path than the one that it does gradually choose to go down. The piano strokes from Williams are King here, and the fade out is sumptuous. It seeps into the gentle strains of ‘I’ve Seen Enough’. Guitar-free and mostly piano-driven, it is stunning, and arguably the standout track of the 11. However, that train of thought does change daily, depending on mood, with the triumphant feel of ‘Just a Shadow’, the mixture of starkness and huge, crashing waves of music on ‘Breathe’, and the KD Lang-like strains of ‘The Gentle Harm’ also vying for the position of top dog.
For full effect, ‘Solstice’ is best enjoyed in one sitting – an album to fall in love with over and over again.
Available June 5th via Reigning Phoenix Music; more information HERE.
Review – Dave
All images – Jake Owens
