After collaborations with MONO, singer A.A. Williams has dropped her debut solo album. Called Forever Blue, the Bella Union release is stark, dark, and striking. Bridging genres in spots, the record is also bold and surprising too.
"Melt" is like some mix of PJ Harvey and Lisa Gerrard, while "Fearless" takes that formula and adds roars from Johannes Persson (of Cult of Luna) to the music. The cut stands out as a sort of extreme experiment on a record that's largely of one mood, but it certainly makes emotional sense too on Forever Blue. For all the shock that number provides, I prefer numbers like "Love and Pain" and "Glimmer", tunes that suggest Nick Cave solo numbers from the Nineties in some ways. For all her prodigious talent, the closer, "I'm Fine", is the one where Williams sounds more vulnerable. As the strings carry this one forward, the vocals seem to be at arm's reach away, the sadness in A.A. Williams' voice a palpable thing.
Forever Blue is out now via Bella Union.
More details on A.A. Williams via the official Facebook page.