A.A. Williams raised the bar for herself with 2020’s Forever Blue, making it the album that Solstice (Reigning Phoenix Music) finds itself going head-to-head with. “Poison” opens the album with the kind of brooding apocalyptic simmer that makes it clear she is not just another haunted Folk crooner, as it locks into a solid groove. There is a more depressive vibe to the second song that carries a slight drone to the minimal arrangement, giving her vocals room before swelling into something that sonically has more in common with post-Rock. “Little By Little” has more of a groove, and even with the synths darkening things in the background, it is the most accessible song thus far, thanks to how the vocals interplay with the drums, as the guitars slowly build to expand the dynamics. Continue reading →