Hayley Williams - Petals for Armor

by Zena Grieg

published: 13 / 7 / 2020

Label: Atlantic
Format: CD

Powerful and cathartic debut solo album from former Paramore singer Hayley Williams which was inspired by her marriage break-up and divorce

Review

The American singer-songwriter Hayley Williams, formerly in Paramore, has released her debut solo album ‘Petals for Amor’. Written when Williams was emotionally vulnerable, having just gone through a divorce from her partner of ten years and originally released as three separate EPs, the album traces her journey from depression to regeneration. “I was in a deep depression at the outset of the project but somehow, gradually, I became aware of the inherent power and resilience that exists in a body so outwardly fragile and feminine,” Williams says. It is this drive to survive and come out stronger which informs the 15-track collection. There are several standout songs. The lead single ‘Simmer’, released on video, opens the collection. It is about the abuse experienced by different women in her family and the power of transformation - “rage is about at once feeling helpless and then simultaneously having this realization that my anger can be a catalyst for change”. The track's driving drum beat and mesmerising chorus is underscored by plucked guitar strings and menacing bass, showcasing Williams’s powerful, resonant vocals. ‘Leave It Alone’ focuses on the fear and threat of someone close dying, the violin-heavy Instrumentation accentuating loss. ‘Dead Horse’ is a song about betrayal and the divorce it led to. Its spoken intro -“Alright, it took me three days to send you this, but/Uh, sorry, I was in a depression/But I’m trying to come out of it now” - flowing into a track with an enticing dance beat, ironically counter-pointing the pain in the lyrics. The contemplative ‘Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris’ with its hypnotic beat carries the move towards regeneration - “And I will not compare/Other beauty to mine/And I will not become/A thorn in my own side/And I will not return/To where I once was/Well, I can break through the earth/Come out soft and wild.” 'Petals for Armor' is an eclectic, experimental album, drawing inspiration from artists as diverse as Bjork, Sade, Radiohead and Janet Jackson. The record’ commences with “rage” in ‘Simmer’ and closes with the resounding upbeat chorus in ‘Crystal Clear’ - “ I won't give in to the fear/Crystal clear” - taking the listener on a vibrant, engaging journey from intense introspection to catharsis and reinvention.

Track Listing:-

1 Simmer
2 Leave It Alone
3 Cinnamon
4 Creepin'
5 Sudden Desire
6 Dead Horse
7 My Friend
8 Over Yet
9 Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris
10 Why We Ever
11 Pure Love
12 Taken
13 Sugar On The Rim
14 Watch Me While I Bloom
15 Crystal Clear