To be able to evoke profound emotion from a piece of music is a rare gift, and A.A. Williams possesses it in abundance. Like an unlikely offspring of Lana Del Rey and Nine Inch Nails, Alex has created a tapestry of gothic sorrow with her latest album, Solstice, which is both timeless and contemporary.
The album opens with ‘Poison‘, a beautiful narrative of ruin and redemption, against a musical backdrop that swings between fragile restraint and thick distortion. The lyrics land with weight, delivered clearly and without fuss.
It’s uncomplicated, clean, and devastatingly effective, setting the stage for an album that balances mellow introspection with crushing heaviness.
I hear close parallels to A Perfect Circle’s Mer de Noms, but Solstice is more intimate. A true dive into introversion that has created an obsession for me to return to it again and again.
What strikes me most, as a musician myself, is the architecture of the songs. They are deceptively simple, built on excellent melodies, lyrics, and spaces that are then rewarded with rich, fuzzy choruses reminiscent of Deftones or Leprous. Alex’s self-proclaimed ‘death gospel’ signature sound is present, but this album feels like a true amalgamation of her previous work, tying together the ancient and the new.
‘Little By Little’ creeps in slowly, with a more syncopated drum pattern, building tension with some gorgeous synth lines in the bass and counter. For me, it’s delivered with such perfection that it unites multiple genres seamlessly: metal, alternative, post-rock, and classical.
It’s impressive to hear a musician at the peak of her songwriting, blending together all elements and instruments with precision, and without ever feeling cluttered. Solstice is gloomy throughout but never unhinges into total despair, an incredibly difficult feat to achieve. It’s Williams at her magnificent best, proving that she is one of the UK’s most exciting artists today.
By the time we reach the dramatic closer, ‘The Gentle Harm’, I am convinced this is a work of subtle mastery, an album predominantly in 4/4, slow and steady, without solos or any flaunting of technical skill. It’s then that you realise what an achievement this is – music built purely on excellent, well-thought-out songwriting, and that is what shines through.
Solstice is a rare gem of a record that should be heard in full, for any musician looking to understand how to balance quiet intimacy with overwhelming power. For them, and for her fans, this album is a masterclass.
A.A. Williams is playing festivals this summer, including ArcTanGent. Solstice is available now on Reigning Phoenix Music.
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