Hayley Williams - "FLOWERS for VASES / descansos" (2021)

Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams struck it out solo last year with Petals For Armor, a mixed bag of a record which flitted between a bunch of styles, from art rock to new wave. This follow up, recorded entirely by Williams herself in lockdown, forgoes much of what that album did for a more stripped back, acoustic pop and indie folk style. What results is certainly a more cohesive and coherent album, if a more undercooked and forgettable one.

The record is framed as sort of a prequel to Petals For Armor, lyrically focusing once again on Hayley's divorce, and her relationship with herself and the outside world; but from a more desolate and devastated angle without the themes of self improvement and self worth that brought PFA out of its depressive slump. The combination of this tonal shift and the low-key, gentle instrumentation makes the record very sombre and isolating, like staring out of your window at dusk, watching the light slowly drain from the sky.

The record certainly has plenty of interesting ideas and moments, but they feel very stark and threadbare. There are textures and motifs which draw me into any given track, but they're not fleshed out enough or remixed to remain interesting for a songs runtime. Lyrically, a lot of the tracks feel underwritten as well. Many of the hooks get repetitive quickly, being simple words or phrases sung over and over with unremarkable melodies.

Some tracks do stick out as stronger than most on the album. Over Those Hills has a stronger sense of groove with more prominent bass and drums, and Hayley's vocals sound less fragile against them than they do on most of the songs. Similarly, the closing track, Just A Lover, is the closest thing to a rock tune on here, and it has some weight and purpose to it that a lot of the tracks lack. The gentle bass and uplifting piano chords gives the song an early Coldplay vibe, before the drums and noisy guitar come in on the back half. It has the same cool, calm swagger as some of Wolf Alice's slower tracks. I just wish it lasted longer, as it's one of the few tracks that could hold itself for more time. HYD opens with a plane flying over, interrupting Hayley, which adds to the atmosphere of the gentle finger plucked ballad about distance and disconnection. It's one of the most structurally simple tracks here, but also one of the tightest. It slowly opens up throughout, with the introduction of piano and spacey, atmospheric backing synths.

FFV is a very tasteful and listenable record, but I feel like it works best when you just stick it on while doing something else without really thinking about it. It hits a vibe, but doesn't really hold up on closer inspection. There's not enough variety between tracks, and they're mostly underdeveloped and unmemorable. They wash over you, and wash out almost instantly once they're done. It has its moments, but not big enough ones or enough of them.

Top Tracks: Over Those Hills, HYD, Just A Lover

5/10