After attending A.A. Williams’ show at the Norwich Arts Centre in early January this year, I was pretty excited for this new album, titled Solstice, to release on Friday 5th June via Reigning Phoenix Music. I was very much captivated by vocalist Alex Williams’ energy throughout the concert and I’m so hyped that this album carries it on; it absolutely hasn’t let me down. Alex’s take on Death Gospel / Dark Witchy Folk style just seems to have a hold on me, and I’m sure on others too. From her vocal evocations that brings all kinds of emotions to the gothic melancholy melodies, Solstice brings so much more than any alternative folk music fans will ever need.
My first highlight from Solstice is ‘Little By Little’, where the whole atmosphere of this track just gives me the powerful feeling of an evocation spell. The listening experience is like being held down to experience a world of magical beings, all accompanied by engaging guitar riffs that I just know will sound totally unreal when performed live. As Alex sings “I’m not ready to let you go” I feel that I’m also not ready for this song to end; it’s such a beautiful melody full of raw feelings and rage. My second highlight has got to be ‘Outlines’, simply because of how beautifully composed this track is. It has a slight Western feel to it, which I think adds to its charm, but there’s a real air of gothic theatricality to it as soon the guitar solo hits. It’s definitely as if this track was made to belong as the soundtrack to a horror romance film.
My third and final highlight from Solstice is ‘It Won’t Rain Forever’, mainly because the intro of this track is incredibly yet beautifully haunting, with the piano and Alex’s voice harmonising together seamlessly before the guitars hit. ‘It Won’t Rain Forever’ also gives me big vibes of ‘Lithium’ by Evanescence, with the Gothic ethereal piano accompanied by strong powerful vocals. For me, it’s also really nice to see that Alex has found a signature style and sound, which she’s producing genuinely captivating music with.
For me, Solstice has got to be the best piece work that A.A. Williams has produced so far, even though their whole back catalogue is already so strong. Solstice just has that extra sprinkle of magic that I just cannot get enough of. From the way Alex sings throughout the album to the cinematic composition, I just couldn’t believe how smoothly this album has been put together. I can also see Solstice hitting really hard as soon Autumn comes and “The Season Of The Witch” is upon us. Just imagine dancing around a fire pit and, as the music gets louder, the fire gets stronger and taller – that’s the place that Solstice takes you to. This is exactly how I imagine this album feeling during Halloween season, because Solstice is just that powerful – I can’t wait to fit it in to my autumn playlists!
